Thinking about Good Friday

A year has passed since we found ourselves “staying home and staying safe!”  Last April, I sat here at home reflecting on Good Friday; from death to life (Read previous blog of April 6 2020).  I wrote then about my watching the Passion of the Christ and expressed my thoughts on the behaviors of the Jewish religious leaders, Judas Iscariot and Peter; with whom most of us might identify.  The Jewish religious leaders, out of fear and jealousy moved to have Jesus eradicated; they called for his death but could not do this themselves.  The Roman government would need to execute Jesus.  According to what we read in Scripture, Pilate saw no legitimate reason to execute Jesus but saw the envy, jealousy and hatred in the religious leaders.  In addition, because of religious “practices” the religious leaders would not enter the praetorium (palace) so as not to “defile” themselves before Passover (John 18:28-40).  What hypocrisy! The religious leaders already defiled themselves in their hearts, committing murder.  How many of us find ourselves like the religious leaders?

Judas Iscariot, he was a Zealot; one who spoke for the people; the poor, the marginalized and the oppressed and who, like many others needed an opportunity to revolt and overthrow Rome.  Judas was a disciple, one of the twelve Jesus selected to be with him in ministry (Luke 6:12-16).  Take note that Luke states that Jesus was in prayer all night prior to choosing the twelve men to follow him in ministry.  Judas may have thought his intentions were good and “force” Jesus into action on his terms in fighting for a just cause, a human perspective.  Many of the Jewish people believed that when Jesus rode into Jerusalem signified that Rome was soon to be overthrown and so they followed shouting, “Hosanna” along the way.  Judas might have spread this news to his fellow zealots and word got around.  Judas did not understand, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor your ways my ways, says the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8).  How many of us have good intentions, take a stand for justice, or fight for a cause and try to "force" God into seeing "our way," take action on our terms?

What about Pilate?  He knew the motives of the religious leaders.  He knew that Jesus did nothing wrong that justified the need for him to execute Jesus.  Pilate tried to avoid the unjust request of the Jewish leaders by having Jesus sent to King Herod and using a Jewish custom hoping the people would choose Barabbas for execution and set Jesus free (Luke 23).  However, out of fear of not being “unpopular” and labeled an enemy of Caesar, Pilate gave in to the demands of the religious leaders.  How many of us are like Pilate, we know what is right but out of fear of being popular or offending others, we cater to the people just to be in their good graces.  What is more challenging, how many of us are "politicians" deeply rooted in politics?

This leads me to another reflection today that never crossed my mind on Good Friday.  I sat many times in past Good Friday church services listening to messages reflecting on the “seven last words” spoken by Jesus as he was dying on the cross.  However, today I heard a different message referencing the thief on the cross who asked Jesus to “remember" him in paradise (Luke 23:39-43).  I was not aware that the thief who hung on the right side of Jesus had a name; that he was identified.  The name recorded is Dismas, as identified by the Roman Catholic Church and called, “The Good Thief.”  Wow!  As I was listening to today’s message on the second word spoken by Jesus on the cross, I made a note to myself to look up this information; I found it on Wikipedia.  Scripture does not mention the name of the thieves crucified with Jesus but identified as one hanging to the right of Jesus and one hanging to the left of Jesus.  I believe the mention of where the thieves were in relation to Jesus reflects the passage discussing the “sheep on Jesus’s right and the goats on Jesus’s left” (Matthew 25:31-46).  The Gospel of Luke is the only Gospel that records the conversation of the thieves with Jesus.  The Catholic Church tradition states that the “good thief’s” name, Dismas is recorded in the gospel of Nicodemus in which portions were written in Latin in the late fourth century and which included the name of the thief on the left, Gestas.  I surely learned something today.  How many of us are like the thieves, which hung on crosses with Jesus; are we the one on the right, who asked Jesus to remember him, acknowledging that he deserved death and assured of paradise or are we like the one on the left who mocked Jesus dying assured of nothing?

Yes, thinking about Good Friday!

 


 

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