MY NAME IS CAIAPHAS

In Mel Gibson’s version of the passion of Jesus the hero, of course, is Jesus. The villain is the High priest, Caiaphas. The true villain in the real story, if there is indeed one true villain, is Pilate. Pilate was not the philosophical bon vivant Gibson portrays him to be but rather a ruthless, uncaring, me-first-and-damn-everyone-else-no-matter-the-cost-just-to-save-my-job ruler. Pilate washed his hands of the whole mess when he could have simply prevented it. That makes him Villain Number One.

     Caiaphas, on the other hand, was not nearly as evil as Gibson depicts. Caiaphas’ job was to protect his people from further incursions by the Romans into what little freedom they had. Caiaphas was basically a good man, a man of deep faith, a man who cared about his people. Whether or not he was also well beloved, we do not know. He was probably a little power hungry. After all, he held the job for eighteen years when it was usually a one-year position. But if he had been doing a lousy job, the other ambitious priests among the Sanhedrin would have forced him out.

     Caiaphas, I think, honestly believed his was doing the right thing both for his people and his faith in getting rid of Jesus, or at least making the attempt to shut Jesus up. If it meant that Jesus had to die because he would not cease his preaching and his gathering of followers, then so be it. The evil in having one innocent man killed was outweighed by the good that would come from keeping the Romans off their backs and allowing the people to practice their faith in relative peace. If Caiaphas was Villain Number Two, his villainy pales in comparison to that of Pilate.

     Yet, when I reflect upon this man who, thanks to Gibson, has been receiving a bad press almost 2000 years after his death, I must sadly admit I see much of myself in Caiaphas. Power is alluring, corrupting. And those of us who are given power and authority – and clergy are no exceptions – often take advantage of that power, and clergy are often the rule. Every division, controversy, schism in the church has been clergy led. The round collar and/or the purple shirt are just as seductive as were Caiaphas’ fine phylacteries. I know that if I am not careful, when I am on a power trip, my name is Caiaphas.

     And yet there are times when I am worse than Caiaphas, who did the wrong thing for the right reason, or so he thought or so his love of power convinced him. Perhaps he didn’t know better. He didn’t have a clue who Jesus was. But I do. Caiaphas may have had a good excuse for doing something that was wrong. I do not. I know better. I know Jesus, who he is and what he desires and demands of me. When I do not do what my faith demands or do what I know I should not, I have the hammer in one hand and the nail in the other. I am one up on Caiaphas.

     It is no consolation that I am not alone in any or all of this. The only consolation is that I am forgiven; forgiven when I use my authority for a selfish reason; forgiven when I do the wrong thing for what seems a right reason; forgiven for being worse than Caiaphas; forgiven. And because I am forgiven, I can always become better, less selfish and more loving. And I must. Must we all.

WJP