Moving to the Crowd

Scripture:

Luke 22:47   While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him; ⁴⁸ but Jesus said to him, “Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?” ⁴⁹ When those who were around him saw what was coming, they asked, “Lord, should we strike with the sword?” ⁵⁰ Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. ⁵¹ But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. ⁵² Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple police, and the elders who had come for him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a bandit? ⁵³ When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness!”

Observation:

This is such a familiar scene, and yet, maybe it isn’t. As it opens, there remains a juxtaposition between the disciples, whom Jesus is mentoring, and the crowd. One group is deeply committed to serving him, and the other is swept along by the moods and emotions of the many. Interestingly, Jesus is still speaking to the disciples and helping them understand that they must be prepared for the time of trial. What we see here is a shift in the life of Judas, who was not with the inner circle, being taught by Jesus, but had moved to become a part of the crowd. Not only had he become a part of the crowd, but now he was leading them. 

The disciples still had a hard time understanding Jesus’ instructions. They were to carry a sword for the purpose of traveling and disseminating the good news, but they thought it was to be used in battle. Therefore, when Jesus is threatened, they draw the two swords. John tells us it is Peter who cuts off the ear of the high priest, and yet, Jesus remains patient, but maybe exasperated. It is Dr. Luke here, who includes the fact that Jesus touches and heals the man’s ear. Jesus is ever modeling compassion, even for his enemies. At the same time, Jesus rebukes this “crowd,” which is, in fact, made up of people who have been around him day after day. Since when did he become a “bandit,” when they could have confronted him at any moment in the temple. Instead, it is they who have now chosen to act like bandits. In rejecting Jesus, they have moved further away from the center of discipleship and adopted the life of the crowd. The final statement of Jesus is profound as it applies to Judas, for this has become his hour, and it reveals “the power of darkness!” 

Application:

The implications for our own spiritual journey are real. Where will we find ourselves? Even those who profess a love for Christ are tempted to spend time with the crowd, rather than in Jesus’ inner circle. To be a true disciple is transformative, both in heart and life. Spending time with Jesus is an on-going relationship that never ends. We can’t hop from the crowd to the inner circle time and again and hope to remain faithful to Jesus. There is a power of darkness that wants to draw us over to the crowd, and then, offers us a position of leadership. 

We’ve seen this happen from time to time, those who are energized by following Jesus, but become enticed by the power of darkness. Once they step out of the light and live in the darkness, they become champions against Christ and his followers. Sadly, the road often leads to destruction, just as it did for Judas. He was used by the enemy and then discarded. The darkness has no real compassion, but simply a thirst for self-preservation and power. 

True disciples of Christ follow not just in word, but also in deed. We are to be a people of peace, even taking the time to touch and heal those who may be construed as our enemies. Judas placed himself in circumstances where he was tempted, and he eventually succumbed. To resist the urge to move to the crowd, we must remain firmly vigilant, intentional in our discipleship journey, and stay near to Jesus in life and action through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. The crowd is tempting us to come and join them, offering us the things of this world, while following our life-giving Jesus will cost us everything. Daily, we stand at a crossroads, will we join the crowd, or be alert, remaining with Christ? 

Prayer:

Lord, the crowds are real, and sometimes they are inside your church. I need to live in the power of your Holy Spirit every day. Please, lead and guide me on my journey. I want to stay close to you. Amen.