Reviewing the Night of Judas' Kiss

Having just moved to a new city and now working with a new congregation, I found it interesting that they were in the midst of studying what I had reviewed in my own study several months previous. One of the most interesting encounters are the events in the Garden of Gethsemane leading up to the arrest of Jesus.  We see Jesus at his finest, even in a time of tremendous trial. We see humanity at its worst in several ways.

The kiss of Judas, even among non-believers is regarded as one of the most treacherous acts of history. If asked to bring up moments of treachery in history, Benedict Arnold comes to mind, John Wilkes Booth, and Brutus who slayed Caesar, and Judas all come to mind. Mark uses the normal word for kiss, which means "to love," in telling of the arrangement Judas had made with the chief priests. They were to seize the one whom he (Judas) kissed. This seems strange since Jesus had taught in the Temple, the Temple Guards whom Judas brought with him had most certainly seen him about. Yet, so there would be no mistake, it would be the man Judas "kissed."  In the actual moment, when Judas carries this deed out, Mark uses a different form of that word, that means a prolonged kiss, a lover's kiss -- a deliberate, prolonged, apparently loving act, yet done with cold determination to accomplish his own purpose. Accompanied by the words "Hail Rabbi"  what would have in any other circumstance been a greeting of long lost friends reunited, here betray the treachery of the deed. We shudder at the thought and speak with disgust at those who would do such a thing. 

Yet, does it occur to us, that this same heart can exist within us, and at times we do the same type of thing? Especially in moments of mob mentalities. We see it on the news and in the news daily! We “sacrifice” someone with “a word of kindness,” then leave them to vultures who do nothing but tear and rend.  Judas “thought” he was doing right. I wonder what he was thinking when he hung himself over what he had done after the fact. I doubt that he was patting himself on the back. 

Peter's “defense”  is also an interesting point of this scenario. Peter is trying to make a show of bravado - carrying out what he believed and had voiced earlier, "I will die with you." He grabs the sword and, as the priests and soldiers move in on Jesus, he slashes away. But so poor is his aim that all he does is lop off the ear of the high priest's servant. We too, act similarly.  We strike out in our attempts to carry out our purposes, our faith - yet all we accomplish is the lopping-off of somebody's ear. Attempts to do what we think is right -- but is this how Jesus' would have acted? Even in the context of this moment, the process of being arrested and knowing he was going to die - Jesus says ENOUGH! He begs them to look at what they are doing - ALL of them. And He points out that things like their behaviors have NOTHING to do with God at all. We have all done this. Jesus reaches out, touches and heals the man's (Malchus) ear.  And so the question comes to us, How many lopped-off ears have we been responsible for during our lifetime, that Jesus has to come behind us and healed because we thought we were doing what is right?

It is a foregone fact, that all of the disciples forsook him. I am sure this means that, at that moment, after three-and-a-half years, all their confidence that Jesus was indeed the Messiah suddenly forsook them. His willingness to give himself over without any resistance into the hands of his enemies and his refusal to defend himself in any way becomes, in their eyes, a betrayal of his being the Messiah. Now it is every man for himself, and so they flee because they had made what in the instant a "how could I have been so stupid" moment. In Luke's account of the resurrection - remember that as two disciples walked along the road to Emmaus, a stranger appeared, a man whom they did not recognize, and they discussed with him the events that had taken place in Jerusalem. Notice in the conversation, how they phrase the matters concerning Jesus of Nazareth, "We had hoped (notice the past tense) that he was the one who would redeem Israel," (Luke 24:21). Their hope was gone, so they forsook him and fled.  And thus the smiting of the shepherd resulted in the scattering of the sheep, just as Jesus had said that it would.

Mark adds what is almost a postscript in Verse 51 “And a young man followed him, with

nothing but a linen cloth about his body; and they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.” (Mk 14:51-52)  Whoever this young man is, it seems to be through him that we get the account of Gethsemane. Think about it. None of the disciples could have given it. Judas was with those who were arresting Jesus, one who betrayed him and killed himself before he could have written anything (Mt.27:5; Acts 1:17,18). Seven of them were in a part of the garden some distance from Jesus. When the events happen, they run. Three of them were close to him, but they were sound asleep and could not have heard the crying and the prayers; they did not see the angel come and minister to him. They were close to the Lord when the crowd appears, but, they too run. But somebody was watching. A certain young man (perhaps Mark himself?), was there watching the whole thing. He runs - yes. But not until the last moment, and then naked. Whoever it is, this account can help us, when we either feel that we do not want to do what God tells us to do, or feel confident that somehow we can work it out in our own strength. When we are called to stand with God, but in turn run away naked, this account to reminds us that even though we ran, we can “come to the throne of grace and find mercy and grace to help in time of need."

So, who are we? Judas? Peter lopping off ears? The running disciples? – or maybe even the young man? Will we open our eyes and hearts to understand this passage? We have Jesus, risen from the dead, who goes before us to meet us. The shepherd upon whom we can rely, to whom we can go in the hour of anguish and find the strength -  to do what we do not want to do to obey when we would rather do something else.

Let's pray that we can be as strong as Jesus when our Gethsemane comes.

Jim