THE CONSPIRACY OF BETRAYAL

HOMILY FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF THE PASSION SUNDAY, YEAR C

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

It is Palm Sunday. It is a day in the Church’s calendar when we are reminded of the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem; a place known as the tomb-city of the prophets. It was a very noisy day as many people took to the street to welcome Jesus into Jerusalem. The reception offered to Jesus implies that he was already well known by the people as their messiah (a political one) who would cause their political liberation. We remember King Jehu who was offered such similar honour at his coronation (cf.2 Kings 9:13). They may have wanted to re-enact this history as to crown Jesus the political warlord who would initiate a riot for liberation. However, they totally lost it as Christ was meant to be a spiritual messiah; this they failed to recognize. They spread their cloths on the road, as many cut branches from the trees (John identifies this as palm).

1. It is from the actions of this crowd that PALM SUNDAY is so named.. According to Luke, as they did this, they heralded: Blessings on the king who comes in the name of the Lord. (cf. The Gospel of the commemoration of the Lord into Jerusalem; Luke 19:28-40) This reflects the prophecy of Zechariah in 9:9: rejoice O Jerusalem and be glad for her, behold your king comes to you, lowly and riding on a donkey; on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Today, these palms we hold are signs of our martyrdom in Christ. These are signs of our victory over suffering, pains and sin. We are victors and no longer victims. We represent those saints in Rev. 7:9 who held palm branches in their hands shouting: salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the lamb. 

2. As the people were shouting to the praise of the king, the Pharisees were complaining and conspiring on how to kill him. We are well aware of the conspiracy of silence, but have we thought about the conspiracy of betrayal? When there is a sort of agreement between persons not to discuss some matters or reveal any information concerning it with some egotistic aims in mind, that is conspiracy of silence. But sometimes, this conspiracy of silence could criss-cross with the conspiracy of betrayal. The conspiracy of betrayal is a situation whereby two or more persons come together to plan for a way of pulling another person down for a narcissistic interest. Those Pharisees wanted the disciples of Jesus to keep silence for their selfish interest, while already on their plans with Judas Iscariot to hand Jesus over to them.

3. The conspiracy of betrayal tends not to see the good but to magnify the bad. Jesus’ reply to the Pharisees showed he knew their plans: I tell you, if these keep silence, the stones will cry out. They were uncomfortable with the popularity Jesus was gaining and tried to suffocate his goodness so as to blow those already-planned evil accusations against him. They tried to shut goodness up so as to magnify lies. Here lies the conspiracy which tries to say: good has to be quenched and evil blown. Sometimes, people tend to be quick to blow the bad side of others, while being very miserly about the good side. We may sometimes have this inclination to see evil more than we see goodness, or to talk about people’s weaknesses more than their strengths. Can this not be regarded as the conspiracy of betrayal? Now and again, we may find ourselves repeating the mistakes of the Pharisees who never wanted to hear the good side of Jesus because they wanted to blow evil lies about him.

4. The conspiracy of betrayal demonstrates itself in flattery. Imagine the conspiracy involved in Judas’ betrayal of his master Jesus: Judas, are you betraying the son of man with a kiss? (cf. The Passion according to Luke 22:14-23:56). This was the question Jesus asked Judas. The conspiracy of betrayal comes with flattery. Just as the Pharisees began in the First Part by calling Jesus ‘Master’, so Judas has come with the purported gesture of love. Having made secret plans with the Jews, he tried to cover his cunning intent with a lovely gesture. This is the highest point of betrayal: When betrayal disguises itself as love and affection. By using a kiss as a signal for arrest, Judas perverts a gesture for friendship. Even my friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread has lifted up his heels against me (cf. Ps. 41:9).

5. Okonkwo had two sons in his household –Ikemefuna and Nwoye. Nwoye was the legitimate son of Okonkwo, as Ikemefula who was fatherless and had come from another village. There was a plot by the people of Umuofia to kill Ikemefula. Two days before the execution of the evil plan, Ogbuefi Ezendu, one of the elderly men went to Okonkwo and said to him: “that boy calls you father. Do not bear a hand in his death.” Okonkwo was surprised, and was about to say something when the old man continued: “Yes, Umuofia has decided to kill him. The oracle of Hills and Caves has pronounced it. They will take him outside Umuofia as is the custom, and kill him there. But I want you to have nothing to do with it. He calls you father”. The next day, a group of elders from the nine villages of Umuofia came to Okonkwo’s house early in the morning to dispose Okonkwo about their plan for tomorrow. When they went away, Okonkwo called Ikemefuna and told him that he was to be taken home the next day. Nwoye overheard it and burst into tears. As for Ikemefuna, he was at a loss. His own home had gradually become faint and distant. He still missed his mother and his sister and would be very glad to see them. The next day, the men returned with a pot of wine and all other instruments needed for the execution. Okonkwo got ready quickly, and the party set out with Ikemefuna carrying a pot of wine. A deathly silence descended on Okonkwo’s compound. Even the very little children seemed to know. Throughout that day, Nwoye sat in his mothers hut and tears stood in his eyes. As they approached the outskirt of the village, Ikemefuna heard a whisper close behind him and turned around sharply. The man who had whispered now called out aloud, urging the others to hurry-up. “We still have a long way to go”, he said. Then he and another man went before Ikemefuna and set a faster pace. Thus, the men of Umuofia pursued their way, armed with sheathed machetes, and Ikemefuna, carrying a pot of wine on his head, walked in their midst. Although he had felt uneasy at first, he was not afraid now. Okonkwo walked behind him. He could hardly imagine that Okonkwo was not his real father. One of the men behind him cleared his throat. Ikemefuna looked back, and the man growled at him to go on and not stand looking back. The way he said it sent cold fear down Ikemefuna’s back. His hands trembled vaguely on the black pot he carried. Why had Okonkwo withdrawn to the rear? Ikemefuna felt his legs melting under him. And he was afraid to look back. As the man who had cleared his throat drew up and raised his machete, Okonkwo looked away. He heard the blow. The pot fell and broke in the sand.  He heard Ikemefuna cry, “my father, they have killed me!”, as he ran towards him. Dazed with fear, Okonkwo took out his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of been thought weak (cf. Chinua Achebe, Things Fall apart).

6. Remember, betrayal is destructive, but to be betrayed by a close person destroys faster. Was it not the last dagger by Brutus that brought Caesar down? Even you Brutus? Is it not the last cut of Okonkwo that killed Ikemefuna? That boy calls you father!!! How many times have we daggered others who think us to be the last chance for their survival and protection? How many times have we betrayed others who helped us? How many times have we disappointed those who call us fathers and mothers? How many times have we betrayed the zeal of those who look up to us as their mentors? Yes, there are indeed many ways we betray ourselves. Many have betrayed friends through denials and disappointments. Many have disappointed partners through fake marriage promises. Many have betrayed parents through wayward lifestyles. The words of Psalm 55:12-14 continues to ring in our ears: if it were an enemy who betrayed me, I could bear it...but you, a person of my own rank, a comrade and dear friend, to whom I was bound by intimate friendship in the house of God. May the Lord give us, as the First Reading (Isaiah 50:4-7) says a well-trained tongues and well-opened ears to discern and never to be shamed in our Christian faith. May the palms we hold today as great sacraments of our victory remind us of our fame in Jesus. Amen. God bless us as we step into the Holy Week.