Read: John 12:20-36

The scene this passage from John sets for us is scripted for dramatic effect. Tell me you don’t immediately visualize how verses 21-32 play out as you read them. As an exercise in constructive confrontation befitting a spiritual leader, however, I think the Lord could have handled the situation with a mind toward more generally accepted HR practices. Rather than “out” him as a betrayer in front of his peers, wouldn’t dealing with Judas one-on-one have been preferable? One could argue, of course, that public humiliation was a small penance for the one who sold out the only Begotten Son of God for a few pieces of silver.

If I may linger on the topic of “leadership by example” for a moment longer, I know that this is going to seem petty of me, but I can’t help but feel that Jesus is exhibiting some passive/aggressive behavior. Imagine instead re-writing verse 26 as, “Jesus answered, ‘Listen up, yo! There’s something important I need to say to our brother Judas here, and just so y’all are on the same page with this, I’m saying it in front of you as well.”

Of course, what these admittedly irreverent musings ignore (besides the fact that there was a time not all that long ago when I would have been burned at the stake for expressing them) is the fact that what transpired between Jesus and Judas, as the Lord himself freely admitted, was nothing other than the fulfillment of scripture. From that standpoint, it’s a bit creepy to think that Jesus was colluding with the devil. Between the sacrament and Satan, Judas didn’t stand a chance — which is why I had some compassion for him even before I saw “Jesus Christ Superstar.”

Lord, keep me strong in faith and in covenant with you and with all those with whom I enter into relationship. Amen.
-Michael Boss