‘sadly CANCELLED Wednesday 16 APRIL 2 30pm

STAPLEFORD VILLAGE TEA AFTERNOON

Tradition says the Wednesday of Holy Week is when Judas offers to betray Jesus to the High Priests for 30 pieces of silver, making him the most hated figure of all time. St John blackens Judas as a thief, saying he used to steal from the disciples’ common purse. Yet Judas spends three years with Jesus as one of his 12 disciples, his closest friends, sharing his daily life and work. We’ll never know Judas’ motives but he leaves the Last Supper Passover meal to lead the soldiers to the Garden of Gethsemane. He identifies Jesus with a kiss.

‘Damned for all time’ sings Judas in the 70’s musical ‘Jesus Christ Superstar.’ But St Matthew tells us Judas tries to give the money back to the priests and hangs himself in despair when Jesus is condemned to death. On the cross, Jesus prays ‘Father forgive them, they don’t know what they do’… words of hope assuring us God doesn’t only love us when we’re good, he loves us always, unconditionally.

The Ballard of the Judas Tree poem recognises all the disciples, all of us, let Jesus down:

The Ballad of the Judas Tree
By Dorothea Ruth Etchells

In Hell there grew a Judas Tree
Where Judas hanged and died
Because he could not bear to see
His master crucified
Our Lord descended into Hell
And found his Judas there
Forever hanging on the tree
Grown from his own despair
So Jesus cut his Judas down
And took him in his arms
“It was for this I came,” he said,
“And not to do your harm.
My Father gave me twelve good men
And all of them I kept
Though one betrayed and one denied
Some fled and others slept.
In three days’ time I must return
To make the others glad
But first I had to come to Hell
And share the death you had
My tree will grow in place of yours
Its roots lie here as well
There is no final victory
Without this soul from Hell.”
So when we all condemn him
As of every traitor worst
Remember that of all his men
Our Lord forgave him first.

with love and prayers

Jenny