Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, ‘The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.’”
NL Daily Devotion for Tuesday, March 26, 2024
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Why not just point? I’ve always wondered this. Judas leads a bunch of soldiers into the garden where Jesus is praying and his friends are dozing. It’s the middle of the night, but I imagine there would have been some kind of light source by which Jesus and his friends found their way there. Were they the only ones there? The city was jam packed with people. Surely they weren’t the only ones who ate the Passover, sang the hymn, and went out to pray. Were there dozens and dozens of people scattered about the garden? I honestly can’t envision it. Was there a reaction when the Romans showed up, probably carrying torches? Or was it really just Jesus’ snoozing friends, who wouldn’t have noticed?
Was it not enough to point? Maybe the common greeting of a kiss would assure the Romans that this was, in fact, someone who knew Judas rather than just some random guy he decided to point out. Maybe they were afraid he was going to give them the runaround and his sign to them would prove that they were getting the right target. Obviously they themselves had no idea who Jesus was, despite the rumors flying around Jerusalem. There was no social media circulating pictures of the guy cruising in on his donkey.
Regardless of the details, or the whys or hows, one of Jesus’ best friends and most ardent followers walks into the garden at the head of a bunch of troops, goes right up to Jesus, and greets him with a sign of affection. And this is Jesus’ death warrant. I’m left wondering whether Judas was as heartbroken in the moment as Jesus must have been.
Had Judas simply pointed, it would have been far less poignant.
What imagery around Holy Week do I find most moving?
