Bonus Blog for week 1
The first chapter of Acts describes the sobering process the Apostle Peter led the 120 believers through, responding to the heartbreaking betrayal and horrifying suicide of fellow disciple, Judas. He quoted scriptures from the Psalms that he believed prophesied, in particular, about Judas Iscariot who “served as a guide to those who arrested Jesus”.
But Peter also seemed to be making a larger point about the possibility of people being hand-selected by Jesus and then apostatizing and losing every benefit that had been graciously bestowed upon them. I am sure he wanted to help the early church members experience some “closure” for those traumatic events, and use it as a teachable moment for them as well.
It’s fascinating to me that the “blood money” that Judas remorsefully returned to the chief priests was used to purchase a field to bury criminals, “common people”, and even his own violently disfigured corpse. Peter seemed to indicate that this place that was prophesied was destined to be uninhabited and even cursed in a sense.
There is a bit of a play on words in the Greek that eludes us who are reading the English translation. Peter mentions that Judas had a share, or was a “partner” with the other eleven disciples before his death, and that his sin had not only disqualified him, but necessitated his replacement. The word for part or share is “kleros.” His solution for selecting a replacement for Judas was to cast “lots”, which is actually the same word, “kleros.” So he cast kleros to determine the next kleros. Interesting.
It’s also interesting that soldiers cast lots to determine who would get the robe or “chiton” of Jesus at the foot of the cross. The “chiton” was the robe or tunic worn closest to the skin. The concern was that it was wrong to rip and divide this seamless garment. If it was torn and separated, it ceased to be what it was created to be. The constituent parts of the robe, if they were separated, were of little value by themselves. But when the parts were woven together seamlessly, it became a useful and essential piece of clothing, and looked like a work of art.
Its great value was in its oneness.
The Apostle John, in his Gospel, says this tunic of Jesus was “seamless, woven from top to bottom.” His other garments were divided through the casting of lots. But, this robe, which bears a striking resemblance to the seamless garment of the High Priest, even godless soldiers recognized should not be divided.
Psalm 22
“They pierced My hands and My feet;
17 I can count all My bones.
They look and stare at Me.
18 They divide My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.”
Because these very events were prophesied by King David in Psalm 22 hundreds of years prior to the Cross, we can safely assume that there is rich symbolism and a strong message that neither Christ nor His Body are to be divided.
This idea is certainly not original to me. I found one of the early church fathers named Cyprian who was born in 200 AD expressing this thought very eloquently. He wrote:
“When someone would be clothed with Christ, he receives a perfect suit of clothing, and an undamaged tunic. But what comes into his possession is common property… Christ was wearing the unity that proceeds ‘from the upper part’ (that means ‘proceeding from heaven and from the Father’), which could never at all be torn apart by him who receives and possesses it, but rather with it secures for himself something that has a firm integrity. He who rends and splits Christ’s Church cannot possess Christ’s robe …
So truly because Christ’s people cannot be torn apart, his tunic, ‘woven without seam,’ and holding fast together, has not become divided amongst its owners. The description ‘unable to be split (united, linked together),’ reveals the concord that holds together the unity of our people who have put on Christ. By the sign and seal of the tunic Christ has declared the unity of his Church.”
Finally, as I continued to contemplate the tragic events of the suicide of Judas Iscariot that necessitated Peter’s actions in the opening chapter of Acts, I noticed one other interesting thing.
The area identified as the modern day location of “the field of blood” is both beautiful and barren in some ways. Located close to the notorious valley of Hinnom, ancient site of pagan child sacrifice and the inspiration for the word Jesus most often used for Hell, “Gehenna”, is the unmarked grave of Judas Iscariot.
However, there is another marked tomb close by that is surprising. The tomb of Annas, the father in law of Caiaphas the High Priest is located very near to this accursed place. Even though this priestly family tomb was once very beautiful, it is now the home of goats, other wild animals and often littered with garbage. (see picture above)
And in the year 2000, very close to this formerly opulent family tomb, an ossuary (bone box) was discovered and opened that contained a burial shroud. Surprisingly there was some hair that survived on the burial cloth that yielded DNA information. The man who died there had Hansen’s disease, Biblically known as leprosy. Even though the Bible records many instances of people being afflicted by this dreaded disease, this was the first scientific proof of what the Bible has been claiming for thousands of years. What a sobering scene. Many thoughts come to mind.
So, this “field of blood” in the valley of “Hinnom/Hell” became the ignominious burial place for not only Judas Iscariot, for "unclean" Lepers, but also for the great Annas, father of at least 5 High Priests, and a son in law, Caiaphas, who helped facilitate the execution of Jesus Christ.
Judas stretched out his hand to assist Annas and Caiaphas in their murderous plot to kill Jesus and to tear apart His fledgling church. But instead, the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ defeated death, hell and the grave and His new Church was sewn together with cords that could not be broken.
To this day, Jesus continues to weave His Church together as one, from the top down.
PRN: Father, give me the grace to be faithful. I want to finish my race well. I long to hear your words of eternal affirmation: “Well done, good and faithful servant.” May my words or actions never divide Your Body, but rather, please use my life to bring Your Church into greater and greater states of oneness. In the name of Jesus, amen.
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