Chief priests and elders assemble ( synago ) repeatedly in the Passion and resurrection narratives of Matthew, always with nefarious intent. They gather to plot Jesus’ death (26:3-4), for Jesus’ trial (26:57), before Pilate to convince the governor to kill Jesus (27:17) and to request a guard for Jesus’ tomb (27:62).
After the resurrection, they gather ( synago ) one last time. Out of their first gathering came the payment of blood money to Judas; out of their final gathering comes the decision to pay the guard to spread the lie that Jesus’ disciples had taken the body.
The gatherings of the priests and elders are founded on a lie, a lie reinforced with bribes. They have become synagogues of Satan.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Moral Certitude and the Iran War
The current military engagement with Iran calls renewed attention to just war theory in the Catholic tradition.…
The Slow Death of England: New and Notable Books
The fate of England is much in the news as popular resistance to mass immigration grows, limits…
Ethics of Rhetoric in Times of War
What we say matters. And the way we say it matters. This is especially true in times…
