I wonder how the day ended after the crucifixion of Jesus, when He 'cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit' according to to the narrative of the events: 'And behold the veil of the temple was torn in to two from top to bottom and the earth shook, and the rocks were split, and the tombs were opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised... Now the centurion and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that wee happening became very frightened..' (Matt 27: 50-54). In the narrative of Luke, there is a reference to darkness from the sixth hour over the whole land until the ninth hour (Luke 23: 44).
Mark in his narrative added a vivid description of those who witnessed the events of the crucifixion from a distance: 'And there were also some women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary mother of James the Less and Joses and Salome. And when He was in Galilee, they used to follow Him and minister to Him, and there were many other women who had come up with Him to Jerusalem' (Mark 15: 40-41).
John added another detail to the events that followed the crucifixion: 'And Nicodemus came also who had first come to Him by night; bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes about hundred pounds weight...Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had laid...they laid Jesus there' (John 19: 39-42).
The first photo above is the scene of cacophony, when the Bulbuls meet for their morning feed in our garden. The other photographs of birds at different flight stations in our garden, convey a subdued look except for the Oriole which broke forth into bird calls just before it flew away.
The flowers in our garden reminded me this morning of the garden where Jesus was laid in a tomb.
The three thoughts that sprang within me when I read these passages from the Scripture were!
1. The Grief
Jesus was physically confined to a tomb and people were bereft in grief and despair. The will of those who crucified Jesus seemed to prevail. But the darkness, earthquake and everything that occurred after the crucifixion seemed to indicate a message created a suspense and gave the hope of continuity to the purpose for which Jesus laid down His life.
The photo above of the rose bush from our garden helped me to process this grief associated with the crucifixion differently from the usual. When one flower is drooping there are three other buds in the bush!
God purposes new possibilities beyond the physical experience of suffering. Every suffering has a mystical dimension, which if experienced soberly will make suffering a door way into what is beyond!
2. The Suspense
The sealing of the tomb and the soldiers appointed to keep watch over the tomb, suggested that the authorities had a feeling of more surprises awaiting ! The centurion watching all the events of crucifixion and the events following, was 'praising God, saying certainly this man was innocent, And all the multitudes who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened began to return beating their breasts' (Luke 23: 47-48). And the women who had come with Jesus from Galilee, returned and prepared spices and perfumes and rested on the Sabbath (v55-56).
The sense of fear and anguish had overtaken people. Joseph of Arimathea, 'gathered up courage, and went in before Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus' (Matt.15: 43) to bury.
The Centurion, Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea and women preparing the spices were those who transcended the despair over the earthly closure of life of Jesus and looked forward to something beyond!
The history of humankind is created and formed by such people who saw the truth beyond what was advocated by the majority! Dr Mary Varghese who suffered spinal cord injury as a medical student and was wheel chair bound for rest of her life did not see that as the end of opportunity in life, but trained herself in physical medicine and rehabilitation to start the first Institute of Rehabilitation in India at the Christian Medical College, Vellore. The grief of her loss or the suspense of future lasted only for a while in her life. Dr Mary travelled in her faith journey and lit a lamp of hope for many who needed treatment for spinal cord injury.
There is a waiting time for all matters to unfold!
The suspense after the crucifixion was the waiting period before the unfolding of the full story of the life of Jesus of Nazareth!
3 The Ripples
The five ripples in between the crucifixion and the third day were: Judas who betrayed Jesus succumbing to his guilt and grief; the Centurion discovering that Jesus was innocent, Nicodemus returning to witness the crucifixion, and the women preparing the spice and the disciples of Jesus scattered !
These events might be seen as facts of history!
Is there not something more than just being incidental !
Let me pick up one of them- the story Judas to suggest something essentially disturbing about human behaviour. We have a narrative from Matthew in his gospel to give an insight about the way Judas perceived his betrayal of Jesus (Matt27:3-5).
'Then, when Judas who had betrayed Jesus saw that Jesus was condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. He said to them: I have sinned by betraying innocent blood. But they said, what is that to us? See to that yourself! And he threw the pieces of silver into the sanctuary and departed and he went away and hanged himself '!
It was this Judas who was in the habit of pilfering from the money bag, while he accompanied Jesus as a disciple about which John in his gospel wrote narrating the event of Mary anointing Jesus (John. 12: 4-7). Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, 'who was intending to betray Jesus said, why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor people. Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief and as he had the money box he used to pilfer what was put into it'?
The mystery deepens here about the betrayal
Judas had intended to betray Jesus, which was known to the other disciples of Jesus.
Judas had a habit of stealing money, suggesting that he was dichotomous in behaviour, appearing to be a follower of Jesus but lived his private life dishonourably.
We do not see any corrective approach towards Judas from any of his co-followers of Jesus.
The silence of Jesus on this habit of Judas is a mystery in itself, excepting that Jesus gave Judas a second chance at the last supper when Jesus identified Judas as the one who would betray Jesus. Judas instead of responding it and revising his way, walked out of the occasion of the last supper and went back to the chief priests to make the betrayal final.
I do not get any narrative in the gospels to sense that any disciple reached out to Judas before the betrayal or after the betrayal to engage Judas.
The Chief priest who ought to have been a mentor to Judas when Judas returned with remorse over betraying Jesus, washed their hands off their responsibility like Pilate washed his hands publicly to absolve him of the decision to crucify Jesus.
I have a sense that Pilate caused the death of Jesus and the Chief priest caused the death of Judas.
The way Judas ended his life is a pointer to the impact of post traumatic stress disorder in one's life, drowning a person in despair! The self harming behaviour is an issue of considerable concern in our times.
Jesus gave Judas a second chance. The other disciples of Jesus, who knew the traction that Judas had for money did not become protective or therapeutic to rescue Judas! The Chief priest failed to feel the pain of Judas and to initiate a healing journey for Judas!
A question arises from what was stated by Matthew in his narration: 'When Judas who had betrayed Jesus saw that Jesus was condemned he felt remorse..' Did Judas betray Jesus to condemn Him to death or because of the lure of money from betrayal or any other reason such as an addictive dichotomous interior that made him a prisoner of a distorted view of receiving honour from the chief priests!
It seems to me that some human behaviour are impulsive and not arising from the depth of human soul. The choice of Judas to betray Jesus and harm himself following the remorse were impulsive behaviours.
We encounter different types of impulsive behaviours in adults, and children. We see this at work place where wounds generated by broken relationships do not heal or fester to stay estranged form each other!
These two Bulbuls have a message to all of us! We are to live relationally!
The women who followed Jesus from Galilee waited with spices till the third day!
This is the vocation of the followers of Jesus of Nazareth! To wait in readiness for God to move in all situations!
While we wait for God to act, our task while waiting is to feel for those whoa are stressed or wounded and be a cover for them to feel cared for!
M.C.Mathew (text and photo)
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