Silent Wednesday

Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.” But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.” Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him. (Matthew 26:6-16 ESV).

 

Wednesday of Passion Week is often known as “Silent Wednesday” since the Scripture doesn’t have much to report on the activities of Jesus that day. It is also known as Spy Wednesday or Holy Wednesday, and traditionally seen as the day Judas Iscariot agreed to betray Jesus to the authorities. This event is not explicitly detailed in the Bible, but is inferred from events in the Gospel accounts. Some traditions also mark this day with the Sacrament of Holy Unction. This is also known as Anointing of the Sick. It is a sacrament in the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Churches that involves anointing a sick person with blessed oil, followed by prayer for healing and forgiveness. It's not a "last rites" but a blessing for both physical and spiritual healing, offering strength to bear illness and fostering repentance and growth. This may have grown out of the anointing of Jesus with the oil of the alabaster jar.

 

This precedes Judas’ decision to betray Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel. Whether this precipitated Judas’ decision or not, he agreed with the Jewish religious leaders to betray Jesus into their hands for trial and execution. It is easy to make Judas the villain; however, there is a bit of Judas in all of us. This week is a great time to reflect on our own self-interests and what it would take for us to betray the One who died in our place. Betrayal comes in many forms, however, it is still putting our desires before our love and loyalty to Jesus.