Judas Icon of Wealth and Misogyny...

A woman has a container filled with something costly.

A man is on a path of sorrow and despair.

The woman seeks to open up her container and bring joy to a man whose path is sorrow.

Another man, in many ways the proverbial man, wishes to maintain his wealth and privilege so he seeks to control what the woman can do with her container and deny the sorrowful man joy.

This is the story of Jesus in the weeks before his crucifixion, this is the story of Mary wishing to see joy on the face of Christ again, this is the story of Judas who would betray christ for the hope of further privilege and wealth.

The story of men wishing to deny others joy, the story of men seeking to control the containers of women, the story of men gaining wealth and privilege by bringing about such denial and control, however, is the one in which we currently live.

The Gospel is that we can look at such men and tell them "NO". No it is not your decision what a woman does with the container she owns. No it is not right to deny a moment of joy to those who are on a path of sorrow. We can fully denounce the attempts of men to maintain power by controlling women and denying joy to others. We can, in fact, recognize them as playing the part of Judas in this story from John's gospel.

The systems of our society are supposed to evoke Mary, breaking the costly jar of ointment for the sake of overcoming the sorrow faced by another. Instead the system of our society evokes Judas, seeking to maintain privilege and wealth by denying joy to others and hoarding and controlling every costly jar of ointment.

When legislatures attempt to control what a woman can and cannot do with her body... When they try to deny certain staple foods to those who receive food stamps... they are taking the role of Judas.

Judas questions a poor family being able to celebrate a birthday with a steak dinner. Judas decides what a woman should do around health issues with never listening to her doctor or her. Judas mocks a homeless person who struggles to maintain the use of a smart phone. Judas dictates that feminine hygiene is a luxury that should be taxed.

Jesus welcomes a moment of celebration in the midst of his sorrow. Jesus allows a woman to break open her costly jar of ointment. Jesus looks upon the one who would deny this moment and denounces his seeking to maintain wealth and privilege.

As christians our goal is to be with the poor, to be of the poor, to bring joy in the midst of sorrow by breaking open our costly jars of ointment. Our goal cannot be to become wealthy and privileged and to maintain wealth and privilege, especially at the costs of others joy and the controlling of others' bodies. We live amidst a system that moves towards making each of us a Judas and we must remember that what Jesus honored was not the man who sought wealth and privilege but the woman who broke her costly jar of ointment for a man homeless and soon to be sentenced to death. We need to work for a system that moves towards making each of us a Mary.

The Privilege of the Prodigals...

Field Slaves do not get to ask their owners for any type of party, this includes ones with as simple a menu as goat.

Hired Hands do not get to abscond with half their employers wealth and then come back and get hired.

Field Slaves and Hired Hands who do such things get told off, beaten, and lynched.

Today we have a tale of three exceptionally privileged men going about their lives of privilege. Today we have a tale of a group of slaves and hired hands whose very reality is ignored by those who own them and control their lives. Today we have a tale where the privileged party and bicker while the slaves and hired hands are given more work to do.

Both brothers construe themselves as being on a level with the hired hands or slaves of their father's house. Interestingly enough it is the brother who all but owns the slaves that considers himself like unto the slaves... One can just imagine an actual slave overhearing this comment and stifling laughter to ensure his future owner does not beat him to near death. This is a man who has no comprehension of his privilege or awareness of the reality of others.

The other brother has actually encountered a touch of reality. He is aware of the fact that he is, if nothing else, not a slave. He is aware of the fact that he has remaining to him the privilege of familial connections. A privilege that his brother would like to see stripped from him but that his father is willing to still recognize.

Then there is the father. The father who still has lands, hired hands, and slaves. The father who still has enough luxurious cloaks that he has to specify which one he wants. The father whose wealth is such that he can place a jeweled ring on the hand of his son and not consider the balance of the inheritance owed to his other son. The father who had lost one son but still had another to whom to give all his worldly privilege. The Father who now has the privilege of a second chance to have a family reconciled and whole.

The story ends at this point, with the father struggling for the reconciliation his privilege cannot provide him, one brother fuming amidst his privilege, the other being granted overwhelming luxury because of his privilege... and the slaves and hired hands forced to suddenly put all their other work on hold to organize and implement a party and its clean up.

If one wants to ask who is God in the midst of this the answer is simple. God is the slaves and hired hands, the ones the brothers readily compare themselves to but do not truly understand. God is the one working and striving all around us for our well being, and pleasure, despite our lack of thanks, praise, and honor. God is the one we are separated from because of the privilege we refuse to leave behind. God is the one we would find if we took the time to recognize the dignity of the hired hand and slaves in our midst and responded to it with the love that we are called, again and again, to respond with.