That must have been some meeting. All the important folks were invited. None of the undesirable attended. It was behind closed doors. No camera flashes. No hidden recordings. The power holders in the room were ready to act. They were tired of the status quo. They wanted something done, and they were going to do it. Something was going to happen. They wanted credit.
This sounds like so many political gatherings that have happened throughout time. The powerful get together and make decisions that affect the rest of us, whether we want the affect or not. Bilderberg meets every year as one of the most secretive, powerful groups in the world. Only the most influential get in. Nothing gets out. We don’t know if they play cards or plan the takeover of the world when the doors close.
The nature of these types of summits has changed over time. Now things are much more fractured, much more volatile. Now we have the ability to destroy an enemy with a single weapon, something that makes disagreement more dangerous. It also makes blackmail more attractive. These types of meetings have always been about power, land, control, prestige, honor, status.
In ancient times daughters were usually part of the process of coming to an agreement. Daughters were exchanged across the borders of political disagreements. The hope was that as ‘family’ now, there would be less tendency to go to war. We don’t exchange daughters now. Maybe that is why the process is so much more difficult!
Jesus’ enemies have gathered in an attempt to figure out a “Solution” to the Jesus problem. All the power stakeholders are in the room. Each has a slightly different stake in the outcome. Each needs Jesus gone for a slightly different reason.
The high priest was responsible for the whole working of Judaism. It was a lifetime appointment. He needed to make his mark on the world a positive one. He didn’t want to go down in history as the one who let it all fall apart. So Jesus was a threat. If everyone started following Him, it would turn everything upside down. His legacy, let alone the relationship with Rome, was hanging in the balance. Jesus had to be stopped.
The chief priests were responsible for worship in the Temple and Jesus had already disrupted worship, turning over the tables. They had administrative oversight of that corner of their world. Their illegal extra income was at stake. They needed the extra cash to maintain their lifestyle. They were in charge of keeping everything going. They were the CFO’s and CEO’s of their day. They were constrained by the High priest, but were held in very high esteem. They had lots of power and privilege. If Jesus’ won, everything they had accomplished and accumulated would disappear.
The elders, like elders in many cultures, were the reservoir of knowledge and wisdom. They were slow and steady. They provided stability and kept the impulses of youth in check. They had been around the block a few times. They had seen trends come and go. They had an interest in keeping everything the way it had always been. They tended to be more conservative than others, more cautious. They don’t like rocking the boat. And Jesus was rocking the boat.
The teachers of the law were in charge of giving the official interpretation, their interpretation for Scripture. They had their reputation on the line. Everything had become structured to keep the power structure as it is. Think USA tax code, and government regulations. The rich get richer. The powerful gather more power. The protected, favored groups maintain their positions of power and influence. Winners and losers are chosen. They couldn’t have Jesus win.
Now we don’t know exactly what each group was thinking and feeling, but they united against Jesus. They found a common purpose in trumping up charges against Him. Scary.
The Arnold Journey 