Holy Week - Election Season!

Gospel: Matthew 26: 14 - 27: 54

The candidates on the ballot are Jesus and Barabbas.  Both have similar names, both being "Son of the Father" so confusion arises as to name recognition.  As election week begins the polls look good for Jesus.  Big crowds turn out for him and the people are abuzz with enthusiasm for the candidate of hope.  But as the week progresses, the smear tactics against him start to have their effect and Barabbas begins to rise in popularity.  We know the outcome of this race.

The platforms of Jesus and Barabbas could not be more different.  Barabbas was a violent revolutionary who only sees solutions in political terms: salvation for Israel will come only through violent uprising and political maneuvering.  By contrast the message of Jesus is that the world will be transformed through loving-kindness, works of mercy and service toward others, even to the point of death.  

The crowd then as now will choose Barabbas and in each rendering of this story we find different ways to mock Jesus.  Nowadays we turn Jesus into Barabbas, changing the message of love and nonviolence to that of the crassly political and overtly violent.  But once again we are given the choice, once again it is election week.  We have the opportunity to choose differently than we have, to choose the savior and the means of salvation that will truly save us from sin and from ourselves.