Petros Panayiotopoulos
As we progress towards the Passion, events unfurl with dramatic speed, rich in significance and with a breathtaking plot as they proceed towards their culmination.
We’ve already seen two actions which are related to the person of Christ and which are entirely opposite in nature. On the one hand, there was the sinful woman who came to Christ and paid Him humble honours; and, on the other, there’s one of His disciples, who reneges against Him and approaches the High Priests and Scribes in order to betray Him. The action of the woman indicates that His teaching had borne fruit, had convinced people about His love and kindliness. And the Lord indicated His pleasure at her act, accepted her gift and rebuked the disciples who looked for flaws and weaknesses in the image of a woman who was honouring her Redeemer. On the other hand, again, we see that human weakness reached and besmirched even the circle of His closest disciples; those who were thought to be His most loyal followers succumbed to their weaknesses in the most emphatic manner: one betrayed Him, another denied Him. A powerful lesson, indeed, for those who feel strong in their faith and able to strike down their “opponents”.
