Musical Musing, “Judas’ Kiss”, Petra

Uploaded to flickr by Carla216 9 Feb 2008

There seems to be an idea that arises in Christian circles that says if it came from the world, there’s nothing good in it. Of course, there are always groups who challenge this idea, and when metal bands were big in the 80s, it was Petra who led the charge to say that anything the world could do, Christianity could redeem. They even did shock rock: songs that have shocking lyrics meant to make you stop and think about what the band is really saying because to just sing along was unthinkable. Judas’ Kiss fits into this category; who could sing about Judas’ Kiss?!?

And yet, the group challenged its listeners to think about their actions in a new way by framing them in reference to that famous betrayal. After all, that’s what Judas’ kiss really is; a betrayal of one man by one of his dearest friends.

For those who may not be entirely familiar with the story, let me share with you. We find Jesus when he is 30 years old, going to be baptized. He then goes and intentionally selects 12 men to follow him. We know he selects two sets of fishermen brothers: Simon, who will be called Peter, and his brother Andrew, and James and John, the sons of Zebedee, also called the sons of Thunder. We know he calls Matthew, a tax collector, and if you thought the IRS was robbing you blind, you haven’t seen corruption like tax collecting in Jesus’ day. The tax collector could line his own pockets from yours on top of the legal tax to be levied, and there was nothing anyone could really do about it.

These are the men Jesus is choosing: not wise advisors, not political counselors to shape his foreign policy or to help mold his domestic agenda. He takes ordinary men, thieves, and radicals and realigns them to himself and his cause. Among the twelve he chooses is Judas Iscariot.

Now, because the Biblical account doesn’t focus much on Judas until we begin to see him fall, we don’t know much about him. We find out that he becomes the group treasurer, responsible for holding the money for the men, likely paying for their food and lodging and whatever else they need, leaving Jesus free to teach and do miracles and the others free to do whatever they were doing… help Jesus in other ways, I’m sure. Over time, though, Judas’ eyes turn from the incomparable beauty of God incarnate and focus instead on the mundane issues of the money. And while he’s hearing Jesus talk about radical change and a new kingdom, he’s still thinking in terms of the radical agenda he knew before… overthrow Roman oppression and free the Jewish people.

It appears the breaking point comes the week that Jesus is crucified. Jesus is visiting in the town of Bethany, and a woman comes and anoints his body with an expensive bottle of perfume or ointment. We’re told that the disciples were angered by this, but that Jesus explains that she is preparing him for burial. When the disciples protest about all the things the perfume could have bought (for the poor) if sold, Jesus reminds them that there will always be poverty, but they will not always have Him.

It is Matthew, the former tax collector thief who tells us that Judas, at this point, goes to the chief priests and asks what they will give him if Judas hands Jesus over to them. They agree to a price of 30 pieces of silver, and Judas leaves.

There are some who believe that Judas intended only to spur Jesus into the uprising he thinks Jesus means to bring-that being arrested like this will trigger the miraculous revolution and overthrow of the Roman oppression. The silver would have been useful to the uprising, and that this showed clever political machinations on Judas’ part, maybe even Machiavellian scheming, centuries before Machiavelli.

Whatever Judas intent, what we are told is that at the passover supper, Jesus is aware that Judas will betray him. He even excuses Judas to go do what he must. Judas was close enough to Jesus to share a bowl with him! These were men who had spent 3 years traveling together, sharing meals, sharing their lives, and now, Jesus watches Judas leave, knowing what will come the next time he sees him.

Oh, Beloved, have you ever been betrayed? Have you ever been betrayed and seen it coming? Can you imagine the heartbreak Jesus felt as Judas walked out that door? What about the heartbreak he felt when, in the garden, after praying alone, after anguish so deep and heart wrenching he sweat drops of blood (the capillaries in his skin ruptured, so that as he perspired blood and sweat fell mingled from his brow), he saw Judas coming with an army of temple guards? Judas doesn’t return with one or two men to quietly lead Jesus away-no… an army returns to chain Jesus. And Judas, the man Jesus has walked and talked and lived with for three years, Judas walks up and identifies Jesus to the guards with a kiss.

What an intimate betrayal. He gets into Jesus’ face, close enough to look him in the eyes, close enough to see the anguish and heartbreak, and he kisses him. It’s likely a kiss on the cheek, or one on either cheek, much as you seen in other cultures still. But it’s still close enough for them to see one another’s eyes… and Judas betrays Jesus.

Judas feels the weight of this betrayal; before the trial of Christ is complete, Judas is dead. He throws the price of betrayal back at the feet of the priests, who use it to buy a field for burials. Judas is likely the first body laid there. There are conflicting reports of how he died, but it’s almost certain he took his own life out of guilt and remorse before Christ’s life is over. The betrayer of Jesus never lives to find out if he could have been forgiven (and as radical as this sounds, I believe he could have been).

This is the kiss of Judas. The intimate, intentional, willful betrayal of Christ by one of his Beloved. It is Peter, in the courtyard outside of the trial, denying he knows Jesus. It is every wrong choice we make when we know the right decision and intentionally choose wrong instead. It is every willful act of disobedience ever carried out just because. It is the choice to ignore wrong when when know we should stand up for right.

The good news, Beloved, is that while we don’t know how Judas’ story could have ended, we know that betrayals aren’t fatal. Judas wasn’t the only one warned about a betrayal at that meal the night before Jesus’ trial. Peter was warned that he would deny Jesus. Peter vehemently swore he would not; he would go to the grave for Christ. Jesus sorrowfully promised Peter that before the rooster greeted the morning, Peter would have denied him three times. Sure enough, the events of the night were far beyond anything Simon Peter imagined they would be, and as the rooster crowed the next morning, he wept bitter tears, having just denied even knowing Christ… for the third time.

Peter was heartbroken. He’d promised so much, and delivered so little. As the day passed and Jesus was crucified, Peter saw his chance for redemption slip away. When Mary came and told them the tomb was open and the body gone, Peter ran to see, but did not dare hope. He returned to the only trade he knew, where Jesus found them. After a breakfast of fish, Jesus called Peter aside.

Oh, Beloved, listen to what John records in this discussion between the resurrected Jesus and the broken disciple who longed to serve but failed:

When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said to Him, “You know that I love You.” “Feed My lambs,” He told him. A second time He asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” “Yes, Lord,” he said to Him, “You know that I love You.” “Shepherd My sheep,” He told him. He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved that He asked him the third time, “Do you love Me?” He said, “Lord, You know everything! You know that I love You.” “Feed My sheep,” Jesus said. “I assure you: When you were young, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go.” He said this to signify by what kind of death he would glorify God. After saying this, He told him, “Follow Me!”

Jesus calls Peter aside and asks, “Simon, do you love me?” and Peter replies “I’m fond of you.” They’re two radically different words. One indicates unconditional love, unfailing, never changing, always constant. Peter, aware of his failing, replies that he loves Jesus, but maybe only with a brotherly love… one that might falter and struggle sometimes. Jesus gives Peter a task, and then asks him again, “Peter, do you love me?” This is that same word- do you love me unconditionally, no matter what? Peter says in return “You know I’m fond of you.” Jesus repeats his instructions, and then asks finally, “Peter, are you fond of me?” Peter is grieved; this is the third time Jesus has asked this… and now he’s condescended to the lesser term. Peter, hurt, says “You know everything… you know I’m fond of you.” Read between the lines there, Beloved. “You know I failed you. You know I can’t promise an unfailing love to you. All I can promise is fondness.” Jesus repeats his instructions one last time, but this time, he adds to them. He tells Peter a glimpse of what will come; Peter will indeed serve Christ all the way to his grave, and then gives Peter a new charge, one he gave him 3 years ago: Follow Me!

Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loves him. Three times he gives Peter the charge to take care of his people. And he gives him the call to Follow him… all the way to the grave, as Peter once promised. For every denial, Jesus forgives and loves Peter. And when Peter can’t reach as high as Jesus does, Jesus condescends to Peter. “If you can’t love me with an unfailing love, Peter, can you promise to be fond of me?”

Peter is a man changed. Gone is the temperamental man who lopped off a guard’s ear when Jesus was arrested, only to cower in fear hours later. Gone is the sorrowful man who wonders at an empty tomb and worries about what Jesus means when he asks if Peter loves him. When Jesus ascends, Peter becomes the leader of the Church. He is the one who challenges the priests when they demand that the early followers be silenced. He is the one who first allows the good news be preached to those outside of the Jewish community. Peter becomes a man on fire to share this radical love of the Jesus who loved him.

This is the choice we have, Beloved. Peter knew the crushing weight of his betrayal. He knew the cost of a kiss like Judas’. But where Judas allowed that guilt to forever separate him from the love of Jesus, killing himself before he found out how the story really ended, Peter saw the end. Now, admittedly, Peter’s death was no more pleasant than Judas’; tradition states that he was crucified, much like the Jesus he served, but upside down. So it’s not that living a life committed to the radical love of Christ makes life easy. But which is the life you want? One filled with purpose, meaning, and peace, knowing that you are loved and valued beyond anything you can imagine, and sharing that with others… or living under the crushing weight of betrayal? It’s your choice. Just like Judas’ Kiss.