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Ponder the mystery of Christ in new ways

December 8, 2022

Isaiah 7:1-9    2 Thessalonians  2:1-12   Luke 22:1-13 

Even after all these years in the Episcopal church, I find it jarring to be reading about Jesus’ last week of life right before we celebrate his birth. Tim’s recent sermon helped me consider it in a new light, to look at it as a novelist who frames a story by starting with a bit of the end to pique our curiosity as we enter the tale, drawing us toward a fuller understanding of the conclusion.

So today, we read about the inception of Judas’ betrayal of Jesus. In this period of waiting for his birth, we get the inkling of what led to his death. And it’s a different kind of wondering for me. Rather than an awe type of wonder, which I’m used to in this season – the awe of beauty, excitement, and anticipation – I wonder about the complexity of human nature, about what drew Judas to do what he did, about the darkness of this Advent season even amidst the light that shines in it.

This summer, Tim and I had the privilege of visiting La Sagrada Familia, a unique and brilliant cathedral in Barcelona, Spain. There is SO much to say about this architectural extravaganza, but one element is the ‘Passion Side’ of the edifice, an entire spread of carved scenes depicting the Passion of Christ. The scene of Judas’ kiss, pictured here, struck me with such force in its tenderness. Judas’ hand cupping Jesus’ head suggests an intimacy that I had never considered before. I had always viewed Judas more one-dimensionally, a purely greedy, duplicitous man. This sculpture made me reconsider.

It doesn’t make it any easier for me to understand Judas’ actions, in fact to the contrary, but it does invite me into greater reflection about the complexity of Judas, of all humans. It invites me, as we make our way through this season of waiting, to ponder the mystery of Christ in new ways. I wait with joyful anticipation the celebration of Jesus’ birth, and I’ll listen to the coming stories with a new mixture of curiosity about the complexities of his disciples and what they can teach me about living with the complexities of people in my life.

Diane Rich