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power behind the throne. In today’s context and living situation
this is very much true that people in positions of authority tend
to have an individual or a group of individuals to feed them
with power and in fact the ones behind the throne carry out
their vested interests. We hear of ‘King makers’ and we hear of
the ‘Power Circle’ around those in authority. Annas is an elderly
person and obviously used to power, even though he was not
the actual high priest, he executes his preferences. With such
powers operating from behind, the persons in authority cannot
be fair in their Judgements. This becomes a burden of the Cross
to people who can be easily victimized and eliminated.

Positions
Though Annas was not the high priest, he commanded
respect from the religious elite. After Jesus was harassed and held
captive in the Garden of Gethsamane, he was taken to Annas.
He was very much aware and well versed with the religious
laws and regulations. His theological knowledge was so narrow
that he could not see Jesus as the Messiah; His theological and
liturgical authority only lead him to find ways to eliminate Jesus
who was healing the sick, raising the dead, empowering weak
and was condemning the wrong done by those in authority.

Paradox

Annas, a knowledgeable person was so ignorant of
God. Theology is in itself not absolute. It becomes relevant or
irrelevant based on the points of reference. Obviously, here
the point of reference is not God or the way God is working
in the world. The positions and power, particularly in religious
sphere does not imply that they are the mouth piece of God. The
agony of God of the Church is when people in power are quickly
equated with God. It is the pain of the Church when people are
misled to think that the whims and fancies of those in power are
the ‘purposes of God’.

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Lenten Meditations Re - Imaging People