The Plot Thickens

Ever wonder why plots thicken instead of grow darker or thinner or spinning or some other action? While nearly everyone else is trying to be thinner, the plot gets thicker... The plot in this case is a story of the world, the people of the world, of you and me. The days we mark in the Easter celebration were not a celebration for the people who were intimately acquainted with the events of the day, who actually felt the tension, saw the strain. Instead, these were days of sleepless nights, worry and even despair.

The chief priests had been trying to stir up trouble, to discredit Jesus. They had set their hearts on killing him. Those who were drowning in sin were trying to kill their rescuer.

Jesus said to his disciples, “‘As you know, the Passover is two days away – and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified,’” (Matthew 26:1-2). What was his tone? Resignation, grief, dread, resolve? I don’t know. But I can imagine the response of my own self, disbelief, shock, denial, grief, and fear. Followed by tidal waves of anger, frustration, and vengeance, with perhaps even a microscopic ray of hope as the man who you have come to love as a brother, who inspires and teaches you, who is so pure and good is about to be shamed and tortured as a felon.

“Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him. ‘But not during the Feast,’ they said, ‘or there may be a riot among the people,’” (Matthew 26:3-5). A sly way of arrest, sneaking around – sneaking around with the intent to kill. And why not during the feast? Well, the feast was Passover, when public opinion had not yet turned against Jesus. If the people rioted, then these men would lose a significant amount of their power base. Don’t you recognize the media control that is going on here, just like it has since and does today? Which news cycle can we get that in? How far back in the paper will it be so no one notices? Leadership is a very difficult thing, and we must remember to pray for our leaders. Yes, even these leaders needed prayers. Because, when it came down to it, they were drowning in their sins. And when the lifeguard tried to rescue them, in their panic and dismay – they tried to drown the lifeguard as well.

And the plot thickened....