Sounds of the Passion: Chiming Coins :: Matthew 26:14-16
There is a musical quality to the sound of silver coins. Unlike our nickel coins, silver pieces produce a bright, alluring chime. There are two places in the Gospels where we hear this sound.
6. [Jingle ... Jingle ... Jingle.] Both times they chime the betrayal of Jesus.
Judas Iscariot was captivated by the chime of silver coins. John says he used to help himself to the coins in the purse (Jn 12:6). But worse, he approached the chief priests with a proposition: What do you wish to give me [if] I deliver [Jesus] to you? (Mt 26:15)
It was an intriguing proposition. Just a few days earlier, the priests had decided they needed to get rid of Jesus. But they didn’t think they could do that during the week of Passover (Mt 26:3-5). They were certain a riot would break out.
So they waited.
But then Judas came forward. I’ll help you, he told them. I know a quiet place ... away from the crowds ... that Jesus frequents. You’ll be able to arrest him there. I know when you can do it, too. The only question is ... Are you interested?
Of course they were!
5. But what will it cost us? [Jingle ... Jingle ... Jingle.]
We really don’t know why anyone would betray Jesus. Think of all Jesus had done for us. He healed the sick. He gave sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf. He raised our dead. His Word always left us speechless. He was teaching us what love really looks like.
Some people think that Judas was simply disillusioned with Jesus, who kept speaking of suffering and dying instead of overthrowing the Romans. Others think Judas was trying to force Jesus’ hand into proving he was the Messiah by asserting his divine power. Maybe the best answer for why anyone would betray Jesus was probably simply greed.
How much will it cost, the priests asked. Thirty pieces of silver?
Thirty pieces of silver was the price for a servant who’d been killed (Ex 21:32). Thirty pieces of silver was the price paid to the prophet Zechariah to leave his call as a shepherd of the flock. Thirty pieces of silver is what Zechariah then threw into the temple, to the potter. Thirty pieces of silver is what it cost to kill Jesus.
4. [Jingle ... Jingle ... Jingle.] And so Judas stood there, hand open, as the priests counted thirty pieces of silver.
It’s so easy for us to condemn Judas for this betrayal, isn’t it? We tell ourselves we would never betray Jesus in such a way ... certainly not for thirty pieces of silver! That’s insulting.
But let’s not get too carried away with our own righteousness. We betray our Lord time and time again for far less. Every week we stand here and confess our unworthiness that we have sinned against God by our fault (jingle), by our own fault (jingle), by our own most grievous fault (jingle)? We confess that we cannot free ourselves from this sinful condition (jingle)?
Yes, we admit before God and one another that have betrayed our faith, our confession, and our God. Sometimes we try to suggest that we are in fact chief of sinners. But honestly, we all prefer to say we simply made a “mistake” ... just like Judas. Then we try to toss our guilt aside.
But betrayal doesn’t just go away. Sin has a terrible price.
Sin is rebellion. Sin is a disease. Sin is collaborating with the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh. The wages of sin is death!
3. [Jingle ... Jingle ... Jingle.] When Judas betrayed Jesus, as promised, Jesus was taken away ... first to be mocked, then flogged, and finally crucified!
That left Judas with overwhelming guilt! Never had he felt as miserable as when he saw the crucifixion of Jesus. Where could he go now? How could he find relief now?
His first instinct was right ... He ran back to the temple to see the priests to confess his sin. He knew the Proverb (6:16-19) ... There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers (Prv 6:16-19).
Arriving at the temple, he found the priests and confessed: I’ve sinned by betraying innocent blood! But there was no absolution from those wolves in sheep’s clothing. They said, What is that to us? (Mt 27:4) ... and then they walked away.
2. [Jingle ... Jingle ... Jingle.] That’s when Judas scattered the coins across the ground, ran from the temple, and hung himself.
The price of thirty pieces of silver is the price of death.
Under Jewish law, the priests were forbidden to put that money into the treasury. It’s blood money, they said. It’s been used for a sinful purpose. So they took the unclean money and bought an unclean field ... a field where potters dug their clay ... and they used it for a ceremonially unclean purpose ... to bury strangers who died in their midst.
1. [Jingle ... Jingle ... Jingle.] But Jesus, our great high priest, has paid the price for eternal life.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, God loved the world in this way, he sent Jesus to pay for what we have done ... to pay for our betrayal. Jesus was crucified to pay for all the sins of all the people for all time. On account of his life and his death ... on account of the blood he shed on the whipping posts and the cross ... there is no punishment left for you. He has sweat blood in agony for you. He was pierced for your transgressions and bruised for your iniquities. By his stripes we have been healed. Jesus died so that you might live. And his grave has sanctified ours.
Therefore, we don’t need to give in to the despair and pain that overwhelmed Judas. We can confess our sins to our pastor knowing, as Luther teaches us in the Small Catechism, that his forgiveness is God’s forgiveness. Let us therefore always listen for the chime of good news.
JESUS HAS PAID THE PRICE TO GIVE YOU THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS
... In his name. Amen