Betrayal

Holy Week, Part 3

Tobiah was frustrated and elated at the same time. Frustrated because the crowds Jesus drew were so large Tobiah couldn’t get anywhere close. And elated because the crowds Jesus drew hung on his every word. In the days leading up to Passover, Jesus taught in the Temple, and the people were amazed at his teaching. Although they were afraid to show blatant support when Jesus called the Pharisees and scribes hypocrites and blind guides and whitewashed tombs, their excitement grew daily. Jesus’s fame spread like wildfire. Even when He turned over the tables of the money changers and called the Temple Court a den of thieves, the people supported him.

Jesus was becoming too popular to oppose.

Tobiah wandered the streets of Jerusalem, pondering these things and wanting to pump his fist in the air.

But one story Jesus told niggled. Jesus told of a man who owned a vineyard. He sent a servant to the vine-growers to collect his share of the profit, but the workers beat him and sent him away. The owner did this a couple more times, but the workers beat the slave and sent him away empty-handed each time. Finally, the owner sent his beloved son. Surely the vine-growers would respect the owner’s son.

No. They threw the son out of the vineyard and killed him.

Then Jesus reminded them of a psalm.

A stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone.

Jesus was the chief cornerstone. Would he be rejected? He was the son. Would he be killed?

As he turned those things over in his mind, he heard whispers on the other side of a stone wall. Peeking over it, he saw the dim form of three priests.

“He can’t be allowed to continue.  He’s gone too far.” Jesus. They were talking about Jesus.

“But we can’t do anything during the feast. He’s too popular. The people will riot.”

Someone chuckled. It sounded like the High Priest. “Then we eliminate him before the feast. Tell us, friend, what you have in mind.”

Tobiah’s eyes opened wide in alarm. He peeked over the wall again to see who this friend of the High Priest was. He pressed his hand over his mouth to stop from crying out. The man was one of Jesus’s followers.

“I can hand him over to you. At a time when he’s alone. There won’t be any trouble. No crowds, no uproar.”

The High Priest rubbed his hands together. “Excellent. Lead us to him.”

The man cleared his throat. “Not so fast. What’s it worth to you? I have valuable information.”

There came the distinctive clink of coins. The High Priest spoke again. “If you deliver him into our hands, we will give you thirty pieces of silver.”

Tobiah’s blood froze in his veins. How can I warn Jesus?