Lent - Et tu, Brute?” (The Judas Plot)
“For it is not an enemy who reproaches me, then I could bear it; nor is it
one who hates me who has exalted himself against me, then I could hide
myself from him. But it is you, a man my equal, my companion and my
familiar friend; we who had sweet fellowship together walked in the house
of God in the throng.”
1.
Ω
Let us pray: God our Father, we come before Thy throne today to pray for the
forgiveness of sins of this nation for the betrayal of faith by its people, and the
treachery of its leaders. We thank God the All-Righteous One for the progress
of yesterday, and the lessons of today. We thank God for making peaceful
change possible, and the will of the people to be expressed. We thank God,
the All-Merciful One, for having mercy in this land in spite of its sea of iniquity.
We thank God, who orders our ways and makes way for rulers. We thank God,
the All-Wise One, for Goodluck Jonathan, for his heart of submission and
humility in the face of loss and treachery of those with whom he had sweet
fellowship. We pray that our President-elect and his able lieutenants are
enabled to do the will of God, and meet the yearnings of the people of this
land. We pray that they may not be tempted to betray either God or the
people who placed their trust and future in their hands. And may the Word of
God we speak inspire the hearts of our leaders; be divine instructor for all who
hear, both lead and followed; steer us away for being as plotting as Judas; but
rather lead us to wisdom from on high, and riches above what earth can grant
– through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Ω
See Psalms 55:12 – 14
2.
As an increasingly partisan minister of the Gospel, pressing the cause of the
poor, ill, socially displaced, economically disadvantaged, the unjustly treated,
the oppressed, the victims of government wickedness, the patients’ of societal
corruption – I have, without flinching, spoken vehemently about the nadir to
which government had come, especially at the federal level. The lies in
statistics, the betrayal of trust and presentment of a state of health of a body
dying of the cancer of corruption fast metastasizing into maladministration,
ineptitude, injustice, opprobrium, and a general state of failure. To Goodluck
and his peers I had spoken with the lament of Jeremiah, harshness of Isaiah
and annoyance of Ezekiel. It is thus time to praise Goodluck for his
magnanimity in defeat; and more so refusal to be tempted to further betray
the people by being a spoiler: a dog in the manger – and pray that in these
last few days of Lent, he, [like you and me], may confess his sins, seek
amendment of his ways, and disgorge himself of every weight, that may
weigh him down in rising with Christ on Resurrection morning.
3.
While many rejoice at the defeat of one of the most powerful men on earth,
by a heady opposition, itself a compound of sorts, one must sympathise with
those who place their trust in men, rather than God. The writer of the opening
Psalm to this sermon, could as well have been writing about the just
concluded elections in Nigeria. Betrayal of candidates by those who went in
the throng to campaigns and palace visits, churches and mosques, with them.
Familiar friends and companions who collected money from them. People
with whom they had sweet fellowship of willful iniquity by way of deceit, lies,
corruption and self-sufficiency, amongst others. Now that the national
elections are over, and a winner known, it is time to move on to the greater
heights in nation building – a land where betrayal will not be seen, where men
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are brothers, able to eat from the same bread and drink from the same cup.
This you will agree is far from what we see today – as acrimony and distrust
continues to rent the air. With what we hear was spent, and the various kinds
of prayers said, there must be deep sense of betrayal in some parts.
4.
Some will look round and say “et tu Brute”? 1 For as said in Matthew 24:10
"At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate
one another.”
Concerning this historic election some will, therefore, now agree with Psalm
118:8 that it is better to put trust in God than in men – for they saw the Judas
plot in their lives. That plot, by Judas Iscariot, is the most historic and
recounted act of betrayal, as recorded in the various Gospels – one of which is
the Gospel reading for this Wednesday of the Holy Week 2015.
5.
On Palm Sunday one of the areas of focus was steadfastness and
unfaithfulness, in the Christian journey, warning on the need to be wary in a
world of sin. The message spoke on the need to be faithful to the end no
matter what, and to avoid all manners of treachery in a bid to achieve desired
goals. That theme is continued today, April Fools’ Day, with a slight shift of
focus to betrayal – best exemplified by that of Judas Iscariot. But, at the end
of the day, though April fools’ day, the message is no fool’s play, but about a
life of clay not going astray.
6.
Now this is what the Gospel of the day, Matthew 26:14 – 25, says:
“Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief
1
That is: “and you too, Brutus?” Words uttered by Caesar as was being stabbed to
death, having recognized his friend and protégé Brutus among the assassins. See
Williams Shakespeare in Julius Caesar - Act 3, Scene 1, Line 77.
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priests 15 and said, ‘What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to
you?’ And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. 16 So from
that time he sought opportunity to betray Him. Jesus Celebrates
Passover with His Disciples
17
Now on the first day of the Feast of
Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, ‘Where
do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?’
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And He
said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher
says, ‘My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with
My disciples.’’
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So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and
they prepared the Passover.
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When evening had come, He sat down
with the twelve. 21 Now as they were eating, He said, ‘Assuredly, I say
to you, one of you will betray Me.’
22
And they were exceedingly
sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, ‘Lord, is it I?’
23
He
answered and said, ‘He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will
betray Me.24 The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him,
but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would
have been good for that man if he had not been born.’
25
Then Judas,
who was betraying Him, answered and said, ‘Rabbi, is it I?’ He said to
him, ‘You have said it.’”
My chief concern today, bearing in mind the circumstances of the day, is
captured by verses 14 – 16 of this 26th chapter of the continuation of the
Gospel according to Matthew. In it, Judas plainly agrees to betray Jesus, by
going to the chief priests, and making a bargain to deliver his master, teacher,
friend, brother and Grand High Priest for money (that gives neither peace nor
wealth, life nor enjoyment, but rather depression, tension, poverty of spirit,
captivity in sin, and eternal death).
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7.
Bear in mind that this was a man in the inner caucus of the Master’s inner
circle. One of the most trusted people who had been learning directly at the
feet of Jesus; given, like other disciples, in Matthew 10:1 -17 divine virtue
and grace to heal the sick, and drive out demons in people, bring the dead to
life; and with divine power and authority to preach the word. By any means
he was a man of privilege and indeed for the most part of his discipleship had
been steadfast and sure. Indeed, he had previously resisted the devil in using
him as a hurdle, if not a stumbling block, in the sprint of Christ to the finish
line – unlike Peter who did and had to be admonished to get away by Jesus
Christ in Matthew 16:22 – 23.2 Judas Iscariot, stood firm with his anchor
holding when the storms of life took away many disciples when Jesus Christ
said He was the Bread of Heaven to be eaten by all who intend to be raised
up at the last day, landing safe of Canaan’s side and earning eternal life – as
recorded in John 6:52 – 66.
8.
But in the end, we know that Judas fell for the wiles of the tempter. Judas
forgot the parting words of Christ when he was ordaining and empowering
them,
“I am sending you like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as
snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard against men…”
This Gospel: Matthew 10:16, 17 – continues to speak about the deepseated nature of betrayal in men, warning that only submission to Christ, and
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Which says: “Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said.
“This shall never happen to you! Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me,
Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God,
but merely human concerns.”
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acknowledgment of Him in public and when it counts is the answer. He
apparently did not place all his trust in Christ; neither was Christ the centre of
his life. We now see why a Christian must never ever repose, nor cast dreams
of ease away, because the tempter with his unseen array are working 24/7 to
lure you into the ultimate betrayal – denial of your faith.
9.
Little wonder, Judas being a trusted friend was one of the principal targets of
the evil one and Judas, for the lovey of money, eventually succumbed. As
Luke 22:3 – 6, tells us:
“… Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, ... And he went
away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might
betray Him to them. They were glad and agreed to give him money.”
The tempter knowing, as we are told by 1 Timothy 6:6 – 10 3 that the love
of money is the root of evil, got Judas’ hands grubby with filthy lucre. No
wonder he, (like some trusted with the care of money of homes and offices
and, most tragically, church money), was helping himself to trust monies – as
recorded in John 12:4 -6. His was a multitude of sins, for to cover his
betrayal of trust he lied – holding out to care for raising money for the poor,
when in fact he was seeking to meet his insatiable greed for money. This is a
narrative for you, so you may know to eschew the love of money, cravings for
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Which says: “… godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing
into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing,
we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a
trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and
destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager
for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
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assets or pleasures of the world – so you do not fall into the trap of Judas’
plot.
10. Remind yourself at all times, that we live in a world where betrayal is king,
making it difficult for many to stay clean. I speak now of betrayal put in man’s
mind, by the tempter himself, to be unfaithful to Christ. The tempter,
remember, was a powerful angel, whose rebellion led him to fall from grace,
never to rise. He took with him a legion of similarly disloyal angels, powers,
mediums, and familiar spirits.4 These ones do his bidding and effectively so.
They have great tools of alluring, and spiritual weapons to make even the
strong of faith to be faint, tired or weary. They come, as now during Lent,
giving you all sorts of good reasons why Lent should mean nothing to you.
These are the ones who put it in the mouth of your neighbor to deride and
ridicule you for your faith in God. They throw science and technology at you.
4
Given unfamiliarity with a familiar spirit, it is worth noting that is a demon that is
summoned by a medium, with the intention that the spirit summoned will obey his or her
commands. They are believed to be the spirits of people who have died in Deuteronomy
18:11 & Isaiah 19:3. You are warned to stay clear of them by Isaiah 8:19. See also 2
Chronicles 33:6 – showing familiar spirits brings much evil in the sight of the Lord. See 1
Samuel 28:3-25 - Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him
in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and
the wizards, out of the land. 1 Chronicles 10:13 - So Saul died for his transgression which
he committed against the Lord, [even] against the word of the Lord, which he kept not,
and also for asking [counsel] of [one that had] a familiar spirit, to enquire [of it]. Acts
16:16 - And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a
spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying. See
Leviticus 20:6; & Acts 16:16-18.
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They throw Darwin at you, in seeking to show you must be irrational in saying
there “diaris God o!” 5 Tell them that may be so, but indeed there is God –
sitting on high, present everywhere, seeing everything, knowing all things and
waiting for your day to listen to His Son the Advocate whether to let you into
heavenly bliss of eternal life, where immortality swallows death, and
incorruption swallows up corruption; or let you remain within the tempter’s
domain – the bottomless pit; the infernal abyss.
11. This brings to mind the Scripture of Hebrews 12:1 – 3 by which all men
know that “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily
ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before
us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the
joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and
has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him
who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you
become weary and discouraged in your souls.”
These charging words are those of encouragement to you in forging ahead
and not being so discouraged in your soul, or weary in spirit, that may allow
the tempter to ensnare you and make you betray your faith. With the
discipline of Lent lay aside every weight so you may be lifted up by His angels
lest you dash your foot against the stone of destruction, and that you may
soar above the detritus of this world.
12. That is that there will be hostility to you in this faith coming in different forms.
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A parody on Nigeria’s outgoing first lady.
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No husband, no wife, no good home, illness, ill children, deranged child, no
work, depression, oppression, captivity etc. You are charged no to be
discouraged or weary. Rather, take all to the Lord in prayer. Keep in mind
that, born of woman, you are created with a DNA laced with sin. It is wired
into the mind to sin and as such you came fitted with a predilection for the
high way, rather than the narrow way. But thankfully, Christ who came to aid
you has pointed to you that He is the Way, one you must tread with
shrewdness and wisdom – following Matthew 10:16. Remember that with
acknowledgment of your human frailty and sins; confession of iniquity;
forgiveness on account of submission to Christ as Lord and Saviour; you are
born again – washed by the blood of the Lamb, sealed with the Holy Spirit,
empowered by the word, shielded by acts of righteousness and protected by
faith and love, betrayal will not come near you, and if it or any other
temptation come you will be able to resist it. But know this:
“… See you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may
happen to you.”
Therefore, I tell you, dear fellow missioner, once cleansed of sin, and sealed
with the Holy Spirit and marked with the sign of the Cross, temptation is
walled off you, and betrayal will be removed from your senses – and only
good will happen to you; the grace for steadfastness shall be granted you; the
will to overcome temptation and betrayal shall be yours. Amen.
13. Moving gears here, I admonish all who are treacherous who aim for bread, or
what to eat or own; whom aim for power or wealth in church or in society;
those who betray their matrimonial bed; those who betray their masters in
connivance with customers – be warned. This is how Isaiah 33:1 put it “Woe to you, O destroyer, while you were not destroyed; and he who is
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treacherous, while others did not deal treacherously with him. As soon
as you finish destroying, you will be destroyed; as soon as you cease to
deal treacherously, others will deal treacherously with you.”
The gain is temporary, the loss is irreparable. Why then let your guard down
and permit the tempter in? Why not exercise maximum discipline and by the
word, as Christ did, reproach the tempter? Why not with the Holy Spirit within
you, seal you from the evil of betrayal?
14. This is the scorecard on betrayal:
“To me, the thing that is worse than death is betrayal. You see, I could
conceive death, but I could not conceive betrayal.” 6
Note, however, that while this may be true of man, it was not so for Christ, the
Son of Man, because of His foreknowledge of what was to come, as recorded
in Matthew 20:17 – 19 which says:
“As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve
disciples aside by themselves, and on the way He said to them,
"Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be
delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him
to death, and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge
and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up."
Betrayal, no doubt is lethal, for it can only arise where there is full faith and
confidence laced with trust. Thus the law for instance will excuse and not
punish the man who in a feat of anger kills his trusted friend he meets in
flagrante delicto with his wife.
15. But this tells you that indeed your trust must be in God and not in men, for
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By Malcolm X.
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only He is steadfast and unshakeable. Only He is not subject to the
temptation of the evil one – that tempter who even tried to tempt Jesus at a
moment of physical drain in the last days of His 40 days and 40 nights in the
wild. The tempter tempted successfully in God’s own vineyard; tempted a
host of heavenly bodies and hierarches; and is acknowledged as prince of the
world by Jesus Christ in John 12:31. This is the one who Daniel 7:25 says:
'He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of
the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in
law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a
time.”
The evil one is powerful and has many tools to ensnare you so you may betray
your faith, or deal falsely with those who trust you – like your spouse, child,
ward, servant or congregation. So who can save you from the evil one, the
author and master of betrayal? Only trust in Jesus Christ. Surrender fully to
Him, for only Jesus can save!
16. It is true, as Matthew 26:24 notes, that "The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that
man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for
that man if he had not been born."
In other words someone may be destined to fail or fall, as a result of his
misdeeds, but not let it be by your act of betrayal that judgment set for him is
executed. Be reminded, in a country where the love of money is since as the
driver to good performance in the market place; just as money simpliciter is
taken as key in showing God’s blessings. Yet as written in 1 Timothy 6:9,10
those who want to get rich wander away from the Way, and fall into
temptation of evil desires. They become trapped into many foolish and
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harmful desires. These things in turn plunge them into grief, ruin and
destruction.
17. You see you cannot afford to deal with the treacherous and betraying man
yourself. Here comes the true test of your faith and profession of love for even
those who hate you. Christ told us to pray for them, He stopped His disciples
from fighting them; He did not call upon the Army of God’s angels to come
and destroy them; He who calmed the waters, and in whose name the rock
was split and the Red Sea dredged to be a highway; He did not command
that the earth should open and swallow them. Rather, He continued to deal
with his traducers, and in particular with Judas Iscariot He did not demote,
dismiss or ridicule him. Rather he elevated him to treasurer, despite knowing
that he would betray Him. In practical terms do not avenge, help those who
betray you if you are in a position to do so, remain in your innocence with
them, do no seek their hurt, keep a safe margin from them so you are not
tempted and apply wisdom as Christ admonished – for the answer to being a
traitor and being betrayed is simply placing all your hopes and trust in God.
Seeking His face through His Son, and doing His will be doing unto others
what you will have them do to you.
18. Let the Great Jehovah be your guide through our treacherous world. Let
Buhari and Osinbajo, and all men (both of the cloth and otherwise), pray that
the Heavenly Father should lead them in Nigeria’s tempestuous sea. Let it be
their only wisdom here to serve the Lord in filial fear, without love of things of
the flesh, or anything that may lead to betrayal of trust. To these men, and all
others in positions of trust, we give them a charge to serve this present age of
Nigeria, engaging all their powers to do the Master’s will. Pray that as change
has come where desired, change will also come in state capitals where all we
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know is betrayal of trust – and in this I pray that God should help you to watch
and pray, relying on Christ, to bring about the change we need in men of
honor steadfastness and faithfulness. Amen
19. Using the reading of the Psalm of the day, Psalm 70, I pray that the good
Lord, the Deliverer will make haste to deliver you, should trouble arise or men
betray you; may the Lord of hosts help you at all times to carry your cross;
may all who seek your life, whether to end in this plain or in sin, be ashamed
and confounded; may all seek to betray you be turned back and
confused; may the grace to seek the Lord be granted you, and so you rejoice
and be glad in Christ; and may your love for Christ increase daily, so you may
say continually, ‘Let God be magnified!’ Amen.7
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Being homily of Wednesday of the Holy Week 2015, 01.04.15 at Emmanuel Chapel,
Methodist Church.
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