Newspapers / St. Andrews University Student … / Dec. 11, 1991, edition 1 / Page 6
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[Editors Note: This is the second of two parts of The Modem Aett, the first of which ran in the Nov. 22,1991 issue of The lance.] Matthew guessed that Ju das might run to the temple. He searched there for some time, but could not find him. As he started on the road away from the temple, Matthew saw the silhouette of a man coming down the road. Matthew feared that he might cause Judas to run away, so he hid behind a bush to wait for Judas to ar rive. The man was walking a little slower than usual and studying the terrain. When he arrived at the bush, Matthew spoke. “John.>” John jumped away from the talldng bush. He clutchcd his hand over his chest and leaned backward until Matthew emerged from his hiding spot. John kt out his breath in relief. “Are you looking for Judas, too.>” Matthew asked. “Yes, we all are.” “Well, he’s not down there. Where else would he have gone?” They were so intent in their thought that they did not no tice the cold dry air biting at their cheek bones and drawing their skin ever tighter. John’s eyes darted back and forth a few times before he proposed that Judas might have gone to see the person whom he was with earlier in the evening. “That’s a good idea,” Mat thew responded. “Where is this place?” John admitted that he did not know. “All he said is that he was with a man who owned a field.” Matthew began recalling hearing people in town speak of Judas’ desire to buy land from a man named James. Even though he was an apostle, he had never lost his interest in business matters and kept an open ear for curiosity’s sake. “I might know the place and the man. I do not know where he Uvcs, but I know the road and the direction to take to the field. Do you think we should go there?” “I can think of nothing bet ter to do.” Adopting a very brisk pace, they wjdked in the direction of the field that Judas had pur chased earlier in the evening. They were breathing hard when they were finally nearing the field. Matthew’s breath crystallized into a frozen cloud when he spoke. “Fm not sure of the exact location, but we are coming close to the spot.” They had walked maybe thirty paces after Mat thew had spoken when their eyes were caught by the shape of a man in the distance. Tlie man appeared to be walking towards them. Matthew shouted, “Judas!” as he ran towards the distant person. John also ran. He was far ahead of Matthew when he reached Judas. • John jumped away from the talkif^ bush. Soon Matthew and John were standing before Judas to gether, both breathing white clouds, both silent, both as tounded. The motion that they had perceived as walking had actually been the body swing ing on a rope. Judas had climbed to the top of the tree and had hanged himself. John stared for a few sec onds. When what he was star ing at fmally registered in his mind, John jerked his head away from the sight. “No time for that,” barked Matthew be fore he jumped for one of the tree’s branches. John looked back and Matthew gave him his instructions, “I want you to get under Judas and lift him up.” Matthew pulled himself to the branch tliat supported the rope. Matthew crawled out to the rope. “That will make it easier for me to let him down.” John went to the body and reached up to its buttocks so he could push them and re lease the tension on the rope. “As soon as I get him down, I want you to loosen the rope on his neck. Judas may still be alive.” The last statement rang painfiiUy in John’s ears and made his stomach quiver. Ju das was obviously not alive and beyond the help of anyone except for Jesus himself. John knew that Matthew was going to be unable to accept the death of their companion despite his past transgression. When the body was loos ened, it fell away from John. John reached out, but he could not catch it. Judas fell toward the tree. His head banged against the trunk and rubbed down the bark all the way to the ground. John leaped to ward the body, and Matthew leaped from the tree. John loos The Modern Acts By Gary Braezett ened the rope around Judas’ neck. He held his fingers in front of Judas’ gaping mouth to feel for his breath. There was no breath. John moved away from the body. He knelt with his head bowed and prayed aloudfor the man’s soul. Matthew screamed at the sound of the prayer. “Nooo!” He dropped to his knees be fore Judas and felt for his breath. Frantically, he pulled the noose over Judas’ head and felt for breath again. John con tinued praying aloud. Matthew’s face contorted as every muscle in his head seemed to flare. His face turned red, and his breathing was erratic. Matthew ran his fmgers over Judas’ face. He delicately felt the moist, raw strip around Judas’ neck. Matthew pulled the body from the ground and held it tight in his arms. He prayed feverishly for the sec ond chance the man needed before he could be sent for judgment. John stopped praying long before Matthew. He waited patiently until Matthew’s throat and tongue were too tired to talk anymore. Then, Matthew just held the body and rocked back and forth slighdy. John eventually used his horse voice to talk to Matthew. “Matthew, we must hide this from Peter.” “What?” ‘'We must hide this from Peter. Peter was harsh with Judas tonight. He will blame himself for this.” Both sat for a moment con sidering the childlike thought processes that Peter usually used. When Matthew thought to himself how poorly Peter might handle the situation, he began to refine his own con duct out of guilt. Matthew laid the body back on the ground. “This will be difficult for Pe ter,” Matthew agreed. “But are you suggesting that we lie to him?” “I am suggesting exacdy that.” “But John! We cannot...” John cut off Matthew to state his case. “All the aposdes agree that when speaking about Christ one must always deal in the truth. However, the truth is like a good man, and a good man can do wrong unknow ingly. Matthew, if I went mad tomorrow and attacked Peter, wouldn’t you try to stop me?” “I would try to stop you without hurting you.” “Good. Now the trudi is like a good man who attacks Peter. Do not kill the truth. Find a way to let it Uvc. But at all costs, keep the truth from Peter.” Matthew was not con vinced. He was even becom ing angry. Of all the twelve disciples, Matthew probable led the worst life before the arrival of Christ. He was proud of the way that he had con verted his life to a holy one. For that moment, he was feel ing attacked and betrayed. Someone was trying to con vince him to turn away from his righteous ways. And not just anyone, it was one of his fellow apostles! “I understand how the truth can sometimes hurt someone even though it is good,” Matthew said. “But what you are suggesting is bear ing false wimess. It is stricdy forbidden.” “Matthew, we must hide this from Peter. “Matthew, listen to me. How is a man saved?” ‘Through faith in Christ.” “And is a man saved through obedience to the law?” Matthew’s voice became slow and cautious. He felt that John was leading him into a trap. “No, he is not.” “Right,” John said. “If die law is not for a spiritual pur pose, it must be for an earthly one. The law was given to us by God, so it must work to wards the end of good. When we look at our dilemma, we can clearly see where good will be done and where harm will be done. There is no good in giving Peter the poison he will destroy himself with. There is good in protecting Peter from harm for there are many great things left for him to do on this earth.” Matthew was accepting the logic, but he began shaking his head. “John, when you decide what laws to follow and when to follow them, you are second guessing God Himself.” John’s voice became less emphatic. With slow and smooth words and a loving grin wrinkling his bearded cheeks, John said, “God has given us a choice between two laws. We must either bear true witness or love Peter. If we tell the truth to Peter, we will be doing it out of love for the laws, and it will do malice to him. If we truly love people more than laws, then we will abandon the laws when they stand to hurt people. We must love Peter more than the laws. ’ Matthew still could not abandon the idea that law was a gift from God. He argued, “Law is from God. Therefore, we must love the law like we would love God. And we should love God more than we love man.” “... the truth is like a £food man, and a£food man can do wron^ unknowingly.” John continued to persuade with his calm voice, “Which behavior is most like God, Matthew? Which behavior will always do the most good? Telling the truth to man or loving your fellow man? Jesus told the Pharisees that the greatest commandments are to love the one true god and to love thy neighbor?” The following day was the Sabbath. There were about 120 followers of Christ in Jerusa lem in those days. All of them were gathered in an open area of town. They went to hear the teachings of the Lord’s aposties. Peter stood amidst them on a large block of stone which had been discarded by builders some time ago and left in the street. Peter covered his sorrow well, but he felt very poorly. Peter was afraid that Judas had died feeling that no one had loved him. Peter just wanted one opportunity to take the living man in his arms and tell him that all had always been forgiven as soon as it was done. But the oppor tunity was lost, and Peter grew form the exp»erience. From that point forward, he endeavored to be more loving and to show everyone the love of God with his every word and action. He gave his speech to the congre gation sadly. He told them that David’s predictions dirough the Holy Spirit had come true, that Judas had died soon after sunrise that morning, Peter described to the people in graphic detail how Judas fell onto a rock in a field on the outskirts of town. Village Cleaners OPEN MON - SAT 7 am - 5.30 pm Westwood Shopping Centre Laurinburg 276-9166 orner Y IVi ST ANDREWS PATRONAGE IS greatly appreciated THANKS AGAIN! Baro'a Stone & Robin Kinlaw Holly Sc,jare Shopping Centre (next to K - Mart) 276 8859 Mon - Fri 9 ■ 5 30 Sat 10 - 3 30
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Dec. 11, 1991, edition 1
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