BETRAYAL, CONDEMNATION AND REDEMPTION

In life, I would say that there are three superseding themes that underlie to whatever ecstatic emotions we may feel in every step we make and in every moment we open our eyes and put our gaze to everything that may catch our attention. These three preponderant themes are betrayal, condemnation and redemption. We can never escape betrayal, condemnation and redemption. In our own ways, in our own lives and in our own circumstances, we were, we are and we will always be confronted with these three superseding themes.

In the movie Ben-Hur, it was very clear that in parallel to the life of Jesus Christ, he himself also experienced his own betrayal, conviction and redemption. His own betrayal was portrayed in the movie when he was betrayed by his childhood friend whom later on turn into his most mortal enemy. His childhood friend Messala knew for a fact that the death of the Roman Governor was authentically an accidental one. Yet, because of Messala’s stoned heart he betrayed Ben-Hur together with the rest of his family. It even came to a point that Ben-Hur’s mother and sister was inflected by the most dreaded disease at that time which was leprosy when they were incarcerated by Messala.

The betrayal of Ben-Hur runs in parallel to Jesus Christ Betrayal also when He was betrayed by the people around Him—His apostles. When Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus with a kiss in exchange of monetary amount. But it was not only Judas who betrayed Jesus, even His most trusted Apostle Peter the one whom Jesus called the Rock or Petrus in whom He said “you are rock and on this rock I will build my Church”. When Peter was confronted three times during the suffering of Jesus, three times also he betrayed Jesus by denying Jesus Christ.

In the movie also, condemnation was also part of the prevailing themes. He was sold as a slave. There he suffered tremendous struggles yet there also he encountered the most important character in his life—Jesus Christ.

In the life of Jesus also, He Himself also experience condemnation when the crowd shouted “crucify Him”. They were the same crowd who also shouted “Hosanna son of David, Hosanna in the highest.” In those times, Pontius Pilate saw no any reason to convict and crucify Jesus, yet because of the dominant uproar of the crowd, Jesus Christ was crucified.

After the betrayal and condemnation, there awaits the most consoling part and that is the redemption. Ben-Hur experienced redemption when he was liberated and made an heir to a commander whose life he saved from death.

Jesus Christ’s redemption happened when He was resurrected from the death and acquired redemption not just for Himself but to the entire humanity.

In our lives we also experience our own betrayal, condemnation and redemption. Each of us has our own story to tell of how betrayal, condemnation and redemption happened in our lives.

More or less two thousand years ago, from Judea to Samaria, the early community of believers also had their fair share of their own betrayal, condemnation and redemption. When they were persecuted they suffered a lot from the hands of their persecutors. Even though there were some who abandoned their faith yet the greater wave of believers prefer to embrace death in the name of their faith. After their sacrifices from numerous betrayals and convictions, now we reap the fruits, the harvest of which they sowed—the fruits of faith which was originally sowed by Christ Himself—the redemption.

            The movie was such a blatant manifestation that in this world—betrayal, condemnation and redemption are the circular themes that continuously happened as we continue our journey in life. Now the question is, do we need to get rid of this cycle? For me no we do not need to get rid of this cycle aside from the reality that we cannot go away from this cycle, in this cycle also we will be able to appreciate the reality of our humanity and that is our finiteness. We are finite beings, we can never take control of our lives. At times that we thought that we are already getting in control of our lives there will always be occasions where in we will be disturbed and the control that we were saying will just fall into pieces and we will just realize that we are holding nothing anymore and we have nothing to go to except God.

            This finiteness that is being manifested through our experience of betrayal, condemnation and redemption is the greatest gift that we received from God because without this gift of finitude we will not anymore seek and see God in our life.