The 1948 movie Act of Violence portrayed a bomber pilot who was taken captive along with his crew during World War II.  During his time as a prisoner of war, the pilot betrayed the members of his crew when they tried to escape the camp.  His betrayal led to the deaths of most of his airplane crew and a permanent disability for the surviving crew member. 

After the war, the former pilot tried to put his shameful past behind him and make a new start to his life.  He became a community leader in the town where he relocated.  He helped to build affordable housing for war veterans and was a model husband and father.  His past caught up with him, of course, with mortal consequences.   

The sole survivor of his crew, a man who had been his best friend, was determined to exact revenge for the pilot’s betrayal.  At first, the former pilot tried unsuccessfully to evade his pursuer.  Briefly, he considered harming his former friend but then decided to accept his fate.  The movie ended with a plot twist typical of old Hollywood; the former pilot jumped in front of a bullet fired at his fellow prison camp inmate. 

The man whose life was saved abandoned his hatred and plans for revenge and, instead, characterized the former pilot as a hero who had protected him from an unknown assailant.  The moral of the story is that the worst sinners can be forgiven if they repent and change their lives for the better.  In simple terms, it matters less how your life starts and more how you end. 

The Passion Narrative in Matthew’s Gospel communicates a message similar to that old movie about past animosities and the desire for revenge.  The characters in Matthew’s Passion Narrative are quite distinctive, and each one’s behavior foreshadows that character’s end. 

Judas Iscariot was a trusted member of Jesus’ inner circle, but he betrayed Jesus because of an unstated grievance.  The remaining Eleven scrambled to profess their innocence, as if they were trying to camouflage guilt about the same dissatisfactions that motivated Judas.  The Pharisees were scrupulous followers of the Law of Moses, but they eagerly sanctioned murder as a means of eliminating a perceived threat.  Peter and the sons of Zebedee were favored to accompany Jesus while he prayed, but they couldn’t keep their eyes open.  The chief priests convened a trial, after having arranged the outcome in advance by means of false witnesses.  Pilate had been entrusted with governance over Judea, but he struggled mightily to avoid responsibility for governance.  The crowds which had welcomed Jesus triumphantly into Jerusalem called for his crucifixion.  By contrast, the Galilean women and Joseph of Arimathea remained faithful to Jesus despite the risk to themselves.  Jesus had good reason to be offended and filled with rage, but he chose not to descend into pettiness, self-concern, or vengefulness. 

At the end of the Passion Narrative, most of the characters had engaged in the lowest, most shameful behavior one could imagine.  Jesus, the one who was shamed by most of those around him, was revealed to be steadfast and merciful. 

In an analogical sense, Matthew’s Passion Narrative plays out around us each day.  There are many distinctive characters locally, nationally, and globally who ruminate over their grievances.  There are many who betray the values and commitments they proclaim publicly.  There are some who are oblivious to the suffering of those around them, and some who are petrified of the responsibility entrusted to them.  There are a few who remain steadfast and reliable. 

At the beginning of that 1940’s movie, the injured airman thought the shameful behavior of his pilot entitled him to revenge for his suffering.  The pilot thought it was shameful that he was not allowed to change his life for the better.  By the end of the movie, however, both realized that the real shame lay in themselves. 

Our culture teaches us to shame those who offend us but to remain blind to our own failings.  We probably have little choice about starting from that place of violence, vindictiveness, and selfishness; we do have a choice, however, about where we end.  If we’re offended by the shameful behavior of others, then our own selfish actions are no less shameful than the ones that offend us. 

The bloodthirsty crowd in Matthew’s Passion Narrative eagerly took responsibility for Jesus’ unjust death. (Mt 7:25)  Judas regretted his betrayal too late to change Jesus’ fate. (Mt 27:3)  Jesus prayed Psalm 22, a hymn to God’s steadfastness, as he hung on the cross.  In a reversal of fortunes typical of the Scriptures, the crowds, Judas, and the apostles were revealed to have acted shamefully while Jesus was vindicated and glorified by God. 

It matters less how one’s life begins, and much more how one’s life ends.  Although we live in a culture that idolizes the vindictive, the violent, and the opportunistic, it is not necessary to imitate their shameful behavior.  Jesus’ death on the Cross makes it possible for us to live virtuous lives in a vicious world.  Today, as we recall Jesus’ saving death, each of us must make a choice about how our life’s story will end.  Will your story be one of shamefulness or redemption?