Passionate Voices – Thursday Morning

Peter

It seems it is beginning. We are to go and meet and then follow ‘a man carrying a jar of water’ and he will show us where we are to celebrate Passover. This is the perfect time. Today, here, as we look to the liberation of our Fathers we will prepare the liberation of our people. The Master is the Messiah, my sword is ready. He once said that he would teach us to catch people – now we must net the Romans and throw them back into the unclean waters out of which they came. Jesus has taught me how to live and given me a life worth living – now, if I must I will die with him, die for him.

 

John

He sends us to prepare Passover – there will be a lot of walking this day. After we’ve discovered the place through secret meetings and code words, I will come and collect the Marys and Salome and the other women and they will buy and prepare the food; Peter and I will then have much to do just getting everything ready. It all takes so much longer when the streets are too full and we must wait for so long. But I think the real waiting is almost over. The Master speaks of death, his face is set and his tone is full of darkness. It is most confusing to see the man, whose words have lifted hearts and raised the dead, so full of sorrow and seriousness. He has always laughed, but there is so much seriousness in his tone. Here now is the man of whom he spoke – what sort of man collects water with the women? – but we will follow this man because The Master told us. And so this Passover preparation begins

 

Judas

So this is the day. We will eat Passover a day early in Jerusalem. He says we will understand more in the morning – I no longer understand anything he does or says. He has spent much of the last few days attacking the leaders and speaking in riddles and children’s stories. Today I will lead the leaders to stopping this madness – they will take him in hand and unravel this lunacy. We call him The Master, some whisper Messiah, and he is hell bent on conflict and disaster. He speaks of death and rising from the grave, he preaches the destruction of the Temple, he wastes riches and pours scorn on the rich. There is nothing more to be done than to hand him over to the authorities – then these spineless fishermen will be scattered, the women will flee and this whole sad sorry mess will be undone and I will walk away with at least a little money to redeem this disastrous three years.