Feb
19

Gospel of Matthew 26, Jesus-Betrayed-Arrested-Denied!

Categories:

Day 26, Matthew 26 – LENT Day 3

Good Friday after Ash Wednesday everyone!!!

How truly amazing is the HOLY SPIRIT — to have us end up on this chapter of Matthew on the first Friday in LENT!!

Today begins the final Section of the Gospel according to Matthew…

VII The Passion And Resurrection

This first chapter of this last section includes the Betrayal by Judas, The Lord’s Supper, The Agony in the Garden, The Arrest, and Peter’s Denial. So it is an action chapter!

If anyone is reading with us for the first time… please be sure to read the Gospel chapter first and then read this — then write a comment below – or a question — as a share – we would love to hear from you!

I found three anointed points in this chapter!

Prepared to Die
Betrayal vs. Denial
Shaken faith in Jesus

1- Prepared to Die — In the last chapter we saw Jesus finish His ministry by teaching about the final judgement. Now here we begin His final preparations for His walk to Calvary.

At the end of His final words to the disciples we see him giving one last detailed description of the conspiracy that is about to take place! Then we see Jesus preparing for His last hours… in two ways…

First in Bethany where He is anointed by a woman with an alabaster jar of COSTLY perfumed oil, and poured it on his head while he was reclining at table.

Now remember that in those days there were three types of people who would be anointed with oil on the head while alive… the priests, the prophets, and the kings. hmmmm interesting!

So this action signifies the ministry of Jesus as priest prophet and king!

Now the disciples don’t like this… they think this is a waste… I mean it could have been used to feed the poor — it just doesn’t line up!

I mean they spent three years with Jesus and He was talking about feeding the hungry and here He is allowing this woman to spend lavishly on Him — they just didn’t get that!

Jesus says, “She has done a good thing for me”

Wouldn’t you just love to hear Him say that about you?

Have you ever spent lavishly on someone — where you just love them so much you want to shower them with gifts — and the person says… you shouldn’t have — it wasn’t necessary —- and you say… I wanted to!

Jesus is showing us how to receive – yes how to receive lavishly — because that is what the Father does for us — HE GIVES LAVISHLY!

Also He knew that this was part of His preparation… again NOTHING is outside the will of God!

Jesus goes on to say… “The poor you will always have but you will not always have me!”

Then He says… “In pouring this perfumed oil upon my body, she did it to prepare my body for burial.”

Then here is the most amazing part — Jesus is so passionate now about this action of the woman that He says…

“Amen, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be spoken of in memory of her”

WOW —- how awesome is that?

One thing that always seems to come to my mind when I read this is the way that sometimes people will rally to renovate the inside of a church to make it a beautiful church… and people will say that we spent lavishly on the inside of the church — what about all the people we could have fed who are starving in the world?

We know why — it is part of our worship to create that beautiful place for God to dwell!

So sometimes we are lavish when it comes to God!

The other preparation is The Lord’s Supper! Jesus prepares for the Passover but you see He will be the unblemished lamb being sacrificed! The Lord’s Supper is the Memorial that we celebrate at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass!

The Memorial of His Life, Death, and Resurrection.

Memorial — in memory of – it is how we remember Him –

He said do this in remembrance of me!

Jesus was preparing to die — making the final arrangements for us and our salvation.

We can follow Jesus example this lent by preparing to die — WHAT?

Does this sound crazy? Well I mean — prepare to die to sin! prepare to die to your own wills — Lavishly give to the Lord by giving to others this lent with almsgiving and charitable acts of kindness!

2- Betrayal vs. Denial – I love that in this chapter we have Judas and His betrayal, and then we have Peter and His denial… so we can compare and contrast — because you can’t get any further apart than Judas and Peter.

So while on the surface they both don’t look so hot… we may know how the plot turns and one dies and the other lives…

So Let’s look at Judas… here it says that he went to the chief priests and asked them what they would give him —30 pieces of silver — just doesn’t seem like a lot of money — if anyone out there knows what that would translate into dollars I would love to know.

Judas from that time forward looked for an opportunity to “hand Him over”.

Jesus had predicted that He would be “handed over” but never said from one of His own!

When Jesus says that the one who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me.

Don’t you feel like there must have been another significance to these words… I think of the way Judas was stealing the monies they were collecting..

…. and I remember learning that Judas was expecting a King who was going to rise up and conquer and fight! So this peaceable King didn’t make sense to him.

Then Jesus gives him the last WOE — (maybe this is the 8th woe)

He makes it clear that the SON of Man will go according to God’s plan but WOE to that man by which He is betrayed!!! YIKES!

And here are the other top ten words I would never want to hear from Jesus

– It would be better for that man if he had never been born!

sounds like more than the millstone club to me!

Judas then LIES!!!!!! Are you kidding me Judas? You just lied to the Son of Man — GOD —– you just spent three years with Him working with him and seeing His miracles — I don’t get it — for 30 pieces of silver?

What’s up with that?

and then YOU LIE TO HIM????!!!!!

“Surely it is not I Rabbi?”

Doesn’t this just sound like sin?

When we say…I don’t have any sin? or when we rationalize our sins?

When we sin we are offending the truth — we are betraying Our LORD!

The problem is that Judas never turned around —

Jesus says, YOU JUST DID — LIE that is — when Jesus says, “You have said so” He is making it clear that He knows…

So this is betrayal — he later will “betray him with a kiss” — how fake!

So we can see ourselves when we sin — we lie — when we continue on in our sin and pretend to be a follower of Jesus …we are acting fake!

Judas — betrayed by Handing Him OVER — and he betrayed because he was a confidant — he was one of the brothers — someone close to Jesus – many of us know how it feels to be betrayed – not fun! It hurts and it makes you feel like you are crazy!

The key here is that Judas never turned around — He never turned back to Jesus –

On the other hand we have Peter!

Now He gets all fired up when Jesus is talking about faith being shaken and He says — not me — never!

Jesus predicts it when the cock crows Peter will deny three times!

Here is the scene — when Jesus is arrested — Peter was following at a distance… then Peter ends up in the courtyard –

- but notice the denial —

first - I don’t know what you are talking about

second - he denies with an oath “I do not know the man”

third - he begins to curse and to swear – “I do not know the man”

immediately the cock crows –

Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken: Before the cock crows you will deny me three times.”

He went out and began to weep bitterly!

So the difference between betrayal and denial —- the turn around!

Peter was able to remember — he was convicted and able to repent!

That is a gift that we can all ask to see our sinfulness!

How many of us know that a person can betray God and stay stuck there if they don’t turn around and confess their sin!

While we can also be in denial when we are afraid to include Him in our lives and so we might push Him away — like we don’t even know Him —

This sounds to me like the person - who is Catholic but not when they are on the job!

Again the difference is the person who turns back to God!

Jesus knew that Peter’s faith would be shaken — and also knew that He would turn around! Jesus even instructed him what to do when He turned down!

3- Shaken faith in Jesus - We keep seeing this word shake -

- I remember when Jesus entered Jerusalem and we read…

“…and when He entered Jerusalem the whole city was shaken”

Jesus warned Peter about His faith being tested and that Satan wanted to sift him like wheat —

Now we see Jesus telling the apostles… “This night all of you will have your faith in me shaken, for it is written,

“I will strike the shepherd,

and the sheep of the flock will be dispersed”;

All of the apostles with Peter said the same thing –

- no problem Jesus!

Well what Peter actually said was…

“Even though I should have to die with you, I will not deny you.”

and it reads and all the disciples spoke likewise!

So really they were all guilty of denial! In the end they all wore the martyr’s crown— except for the only one who did remain at the cross that day! JOHN!

So we can see here that God will allow for things to be shaken in order to rebuild for the common good — and the lessons are huge!

Peter could never have been able to run the whole church if he had not had this great experience with God’s Mercy!

So God will allow shaking — in faith, in order to grow the gift like a muscle.

I even thought about earth quakes when I was reading this.. a huge tragedy but everything shaken to the ground — in order to rebuild!

The key here is that we all must turn around — to Jesus Christ!

Now is the perfect time!

Now is the day of salvation!

What do you think?

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Anonymous

Since I woke up this morning, the “theme” has been shake. In the reading, the disciples’ faith is shaken, specially Judas’ and Peter’s. The News are always negative, but these days are even worse, because of the economic situation. In Puerto Rico, criminality has gone up. There are more hold ups and robbery and the wars among the drug dealers are taking a lot of lifes.
About two years ago, three actors that are very loved in Puerto Rico were diagnosed with the same cancer in the tongue and throat. The three of them were christians and the announced their desease and asked for prayers. In the mist of the hard times and bad news in the island (PR), they got people to pray on tv and radio. Two of them responded to the treatment and gave praise to God, one of them died last Tuesday, leaving behind his wife and four children, ages 6 through1. This is the man for whom all radio stations and three tv stations stopped their programming one morning and united in a prayer led by one station. Never before seen in PR.
For three days now, the news have been of this man. How full of God he was, his wife’s testimony of the presence of God in their life and in his death, his parents testimony of his life as a christian, people’s testimony of how much he helped. And the other two actors (women both) of how close the three of them felt to God through out their sickness and treatment. There has not been one article of regret. Because PR is so small, this has been a lost for all, because he was weel known and did a lot of good during his life. He died at 41. PR has been shaken, has morned for the last three days, and will turn around. The news today have been about foundations that will be made in his name, to continue his good works and public relegious services, from different denominations, that will be held to give thanks for his life.
I believe the nearer we are to the Lord, the more our lifes get shaken, but the more we feel our love so that we can turn stand up again. In my life I have been shaken a few times and I have rebuilt my house. But somewhere on the way of reconstruction I take over the management of the construction and leave Him out again. I have been shaken once more, and I will let Him be the contractor this time. With each shake I certainly become a better Christian and a better Catholic. I always think of Peter, he must have been a physically strong man and with a strong character. After being called Peter and being told that His Church would be built over him, he must have felt terrible when that rooster sang. But looking to the bright side, Jesus so lovingly gave him that sign, so he immediately knew when he had gone wrong. And with the strengh of His love, he stood up and did built His church. Poor Judas did not hung up to His love. We are so lucky that we get to see two results of the same act of turning our back to the Lord, and to see the defference between hanging on the the Lord, because of His love and to stay down and not go back to Him. I thank God for this lesson.
Anonymous

I’m sure I have denied God many times in my life; not verbally saying it, but in my actions and thoughts. Questioning HIM, or giving up on praying, or just feeling beat. I am so thankful I was not an original Apostle, I truly don’t know if I could have hacked it. Now my faith is strong; but it wasn’t always that way.

Last night while falling asleep, I went over in my mind the whole scenario of what we read today. So when I read it today it was like watching a re-run! It is always very moving , this part of Jesus’s life – for me. Saying the Sorrowful Mysteries, I even feel it, very shaken and very sad and sorry; feeling my sins in those nails.

And regardless of what is happening in the Gospels, Jesus is sticking to the Agenda, reminding the Apostles of what is to be fulfilled. That just amazes me, every time I read it, and it is in the Gospels many times.
http://FiredUpCatholics.com/ Marie Joseph

WOW that is a great share and so incredibly timely — you can see how the WORD is greater than just the literal translaton — it spans the world and envelopes it because JESUS is the WORD made Flesh and HE is LORD! I loved this thank you!!!
http://FiredUpCatholics.com/ Marie Joseph

Right on!!! So incredible that you spent time last night with the WORD — preparing to receive!!! And giving of your heart!!! Such awesome grace to unite you suffering and feelings to the sorrowful mysteries and to those nails — Amen Sister!!!
Anonymous

Well Marie… I’m finally back and I have a special guest with me… LORETTA is in CA…. We’ve been having a great time and sat down today to share in your bible study. Wow… that was a great commentary and we appreciate all of your insight… The first comment that we talked about was when he was annointed by the woman with the jar of alabaster… we felt like Jesus was saying that as important it is to feed the poor and take care of the flock, it is MORE important when we have Jesus with us… Then we can do call things with Him and thru Him. My mom has been inspired and is hopeful that she can read the bible daily and beging to understand any and all things that God is trying to speak to her. We know that we must be open to “listen” and the what better way to hear his voice than thru the bible, the “word of God”.

She has a question… she’s not sure where she heard it from, secular or religious source… but she remembers hearing that when Judas betrayed Jesus, there actually was not trasaction of physical money. However, I do recall (in another Gospel), where it says that Judas threw down his money an hanged himself, so to me if that was written than it would show that he did physically have it. So, what is your understanding of that, was he truly given the money or not? (we know that’s not the point, but just wondered if you had ever heard that or if it is simply not true about the money exchange).
On the last note HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY… so sorry that we are 2 days behind. Hope you had an awesome birthday and how blessed to share it with the Holy week. We love you… Love, lisa and Loretta…
cuquilavergne

Since I woke up this morning, the “theme” has been shake. In the reading, the disciples' faith is shaken, specially Judas' and Peter's. The News are always negative, but these days are even worse, because of the economic situation. In Puerto Rico, criminality has gone up. There are more hold ups and robbery and the wars among the drug dealers are taking a lot of lifes.
About two years ago, three actors that are very loved in Puerto Rico were diagnosed with the same cancer in the tongue and throat. The three of them were christians and the announced their desease and asked for prayers. In the mist of the hard times and bad news in the island (PR), they got people to pray on tv and radio. Two of them responded to the treatment and gave praise to God, one of them died last Tuesday, leaving behind his wife and four children, ages 6 through1. This is the man for whom all radio stations and three tv stations stopped their programming one morning and united in a prayer led by one station. Never before seen in PR.
For three days now, the news have been of this man. How full of God he was, his wife's testimony of the presence of God in their life and in his death, his parents testimony of his life as a christian, people's testimony of how much he helped. And the other two actors (women both) of how close the three of them felt to God through out their sickness and treatment. There has not been one article of regret. Because PR is so small, this has been a lost for all, because he was weel known and did a lot of good during his life. He died at 41. PR has been shaken, has morned for the last three days, and will turn around. The news today have been about foundations that will be made in his name, to continue his good works and public relegious services, from different denominations, that will be held to give thanks for his life.
I believe the nearer we are to the Lord, the more our lifes get shaken, but the more we feel our love so that we can turn stand up again. In my life I have been shaken a few times and I have rebuilt my house. But somewhere on the way of reconstruction I take over the management of the construction and leave Him out again. I have been shaken once more, and I will let Him be the contractor this time. With each shake I certainly become a better Christian and a better Catholic. I always think of Peter, he must have been a physically strong man and with a strong character. After being called Peter and being told that His Church would be built over him, he must have felt terrible when that rooster sang. But looking to the bright side, Jesus so lovingly gave him that sign, so he immediately knew when he had gone wrong. And with the strengh of His love, he stood up and did built His church. Poor Judas did not hung up to His love. We are so lucky that we get to see two results of the same act of turning our back to the Lord, and to see the defference between hanging on the the Lord, because of His love and to stay down and not go back to Him. I thank God for this lesson.
Anonymous

wow! cuqui, lisa and loretta! what a blessing! today we had the second day of Stations of the Cross after mass and from 8 it grew to 12! how hopeless it must have felt for Jesus those last few days – his own not understanding. that is how i feel today. crushed under my problems.
judystefencavage

I'm sure I have denied God many times in my life; not verbally saying it, but in my actions and thoughts. Questioning HIM, or giving up on praying, or just feeling beat. I am so thankful I was not an original Apostle, I truly don't know if I could have hacked it. Now my faith is strong; but it wasn't always that way.

Last night while falling asleep, I went over in my mind the whole scenario of what we read today. So when I read it today it was like watching a re-run! It is always very moving , this part of Jesus's life – for me. Saying the Sorrowful Mysteries, I even feel it, very shaken and very sad and sorry; feeling my sins in those nails.

And regardless of what is happening in the Gospels, Jesus is sticking to the Agenda, reminding the Apostles of what is to be fulfilled. That just amazes me, every time I read it, and it is in the Gospels many times.
http://FiredUpCatholics.com/ Marie Joseph

WOW that is a great share and so incredibly timely — you can see how the WORD is greater than just the literal translaton — it spans the world and envelopes it because JESUS is the WORD made Flesh and HE is LORD! I loved this thank you!!!
http://FiredUpCatholics.com/ Marie Joseph

Right on!!! So incredible that you spent time last night with the WORD — preparing to receive!!! And giving of your heart!!! Such awesome grace to unite you suffering and feelings to the sorrowful mysteries and to those nails — Amen Sister!!!
Anonymous

Mrs. Raffa, good to see your name… I know how we all feel being crushed under our problems… But we must remember, that Jesus is our example… If he could get up and walk to the cross, then rise from the dead, With the help of God, we can all do the same. You are in our prayers and we know that thru Christ, you CAN do all things… Loretta says hi and we wish you and Marie were here… I need to get in gear and get her a west coast gig… and we can be her cronies… Love, Lisa and Loretta…
Fr.Ken

William Barclay in his commentary ( in England) in he 50′s said the value of the shekel was 3 shillings, making the worth in total of less than 5 pounds (back then, worth a lot more).
An internet source says that a shekel had half an ounce of silver which would cover 4 days wages or $400 to $500 of todays money, making 30 shekels worth $12,000 to $15,000 so we have a wide disparity as to the value of the 30 pieces of silver, nor does the bible designate exactly what the silver coin was.
My impression was that the money really wasn’t worth that much, but it looks like the jury is still out on what the worth actually was.
The incident of the anointing may have a parallel in the gospel of today as the Pharisees complain that the disciples do not fast, and Jesus says, “Do the wedding guests fast while the groom is still with them”?
My point being that it seems to be like Marie’s point of using money for churches because they are where we worship God in his Eucharistic presence and we want those places to be special to show our reverence and respect and how much we value that presence of the bridegroom.
http://FiredUpCatholics.com/ Marie Joseph

OH WOW — Praise the Lord! Brothers and Sisters this woman Loretta is a walking miracle — literally! Was healed in a very powerful way by God! I am so happy you are here and thank you for your share! Great question! I am so glad you asked — my understanding is that Judas did really have the coins — there was a transaction –and the whole thing went down exactly as it did for a reason — it fulfilled a prophesy — read Zechariah 11:10-13 at least… here is a little piece of the prophecy of which Judas actions are fulfilled… “And they counted my wages, thirty pieces of silver. But the Lord said to me, “Throw it in the treasury, the handsome price at which they valued me”. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the treasury in the house of the Lord.” and I don’t want to give tomorrow away… but Matthew will be the only one who is inspired to tell it exactly like the prophecy again because he is writing for the Jewish people who would know the prophet Zechariah’s words! Also in Exodus 21:32 we read all about the law on slaves and in this one verse it reads “… he must pay the owner of the slave thirty shekels of silver, and the ox must be stoned.” In other words you have to read the whole section for context but this was how much you had to pay for the slave — so the Jewish people knew this — and Judas represents for us “choice” — God talks so much to us about choosing Him over love of money — greed, avarice, pride — and so the fact that Judas betrayed him over money — the deal was made and then he goes back — and he already had it in his hands — I think is important — ie his hands weren’t clean!
That is like us at times and we have to learn from this. And of course — that he had been bought for the price of a slave — I think so significant — so I am grateful that you brought this up — there is so much in this chapter hard to capture it all! We could do a week and more just on this one chapter of course! Stay tuned tomorrow!!! When God calls I’ll be there!
http://FiredUpCatholics.com/ Marie Joseph

thank you for your great share! I am so grateful for this info — did you see above the Old Testament references to Zech and Exodus? Now it is all making great sense! See what we can do when we pool together the sharing of the body of Christ’s knowledge!!! Thanks for giving me the missing change on the money!!!
lisadoerfler

Well Marie… I'm finally back and I have a special guest with me… LORETTA is in CA…. We've been having a great time and sat down today to share in your bible study. Wow… that was a great commentary and we appreciate all of your insight… The first comment that we talked about was when he was annointed by the woman with the jar of alabaster… we felt like Jesus was saying that as important it is to feed the poor and take care of the flock, it is MORE important when we have Jesus with us… Then we can do call things with Him and thru Him. My mom has been inspired and is hopeful that she can read the bible daily and beging to understand any and all things that God is trying to speak to her. We know that we must be open to “listen” and the what better way to hear his voice than thru the bible, the “word of God”.

She has a question… she's not sure where she heard it from, secular or religious source… but she remembers hearing that when Judas betrayed Jesus, there actually was not trasaction of physical money. However, I do recall (in another Gospel), where it says that Judas threw down his money an hanged himself, so to me if that was written than it would show that he did physically have it. So, what is your understanding of that, was he truly given the money or not? (we know that's not the point, but just wondered if you had ever heard that or if it is simply not true about the money exchange).
On the last note HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY… so sorry that we are 2 days behind. Hope you had an awesome birthday and how blessed to share it with the Holy week. We love you… Love, lisa and Loretta…
marionraffa

wow! cuqui, lisa and loretta! what a blessing! today we had the second day of Stations of the Cross after mass and from 8 it grew to 12! how hopeless it must have felt for Jesus those last few days – his own not understanding. that is how i feel today. crushed under my problems.
lisadoerfler

Mrs. Raffa, good to see your name… I know how we all feel being crushed under our problems… But we must remember, that Jesus is our example… If he could get up and walk to the cross, then rise from the dead, With the help of God, we can all do the same. You are in our prayers and we know that thru Christ, you CAN do all things… Loretta says hi and we wish you and Marie were here… I need to get in gear and get her a west coast gig… and we can be her cronies… Love, Lisa and Loretta…
Fr.Ken

William Barclay in his commentary ( in England) in he 50's said the value of the shekel was 3 shillings, making the worth in total of less than 5 pounds (back then, worth a lot more).
An internet source says that a shekel had half an ounce of silver which would cover 4 days wages or $400 to $500 of todays money, making 30 shekels worth $12,000 to $15,000 so we have a wide disparity as to the value of the 30 pieces of silver, nor does the bible designate exactly what the silver coin was.
My impression was that the money really wasn't worth that much, but it looks like the jury is still out on what the worth actually was.
The incident of the anointing may have a parallel in the gospel of today as the Pharisees complain that the disciples do not fast, and Jesus says, “Do the wedding guests fast while the groom is still with them”?
My point being that it seems to be like Marie's point of using money for churches because they are where we worship God in his Eucharistic presence and we want those places to be special to show our reverence and respect and how much we value that presence of the bridegroom.
http://FiredUpCatholics.com/ Marie Joseph

OH WOW — Praise the Lord! Brothers and Sisters this woman Loretta is a walking miracle — literally! Was healed in a very powerful way by God! I am so happy you are here and thank you for your share! Great question! I am so glad you asked — my understanding is that Judas did really have the coins — there was a transaction –and the whole thing went down exactly as it did for a reason — it fulfilled a prophesy — read Zechariah 11:10-13 at least… here is a little piece of the prophecy of which Judas actions are fulfilled… “And they counted my wages, thirty pieces of silver. But the Lord said to me, “Throw it in the treasury, the handsome price at which they valued me”. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the treasury in the house of the Lord.” and I don't want to give tomorrow away… but Matthew will be the only one who is inspired to tell it exactly like the prophecy again because he is writing for the Jewish people who would know the prophet Zechariah's words! Also in Exodus 21:32 we read all about the law on slaves and in this one verse it reads “… he must pay the owner of the slave thirty shekels of silver, and the ox must be stoned.” In other words you have to read the whole section for context but this was how much you had to pay for the slave — so the Jewish people knew this — and Judas represents for us “choice” — God talks so much to us about choosing Him over love of money — greed, avarice, pride — and so the fact that Judas betrayed him over money — they deal was made and then he goes back — and he already had it in his hands — I think is important — ie his hands weren't clean!
That is like us at times and we have to learn from this. And of course — that he had been bought for the price of a slave — I think so significant — so I am grateful that you brought this up — there is so much in this chapter hard to capture it all! We could do a week and more just on this one chapter of course! Stay tuned tomorrow!!! When God calls I'll be there!
http://FiredUpCatholics.com/ Marie Joseph

thank you for your great share! I am so grateful for this info — did you see above the Old Testament references to Zech and Exodus? Now it is all making great sense! See what we can do when we pool together the sharing of the body of Christ's knowledge!!! Thanks for giving me the missing change on the money!!!