Thirty Pieces of Silver: Money in Jesus' Last Week

Thirty Pieces of Silver: Money in Jesus' Last Week

A Three-Part Lenten Zoom Series

Thursdays, March 13, 20, & 27th at 7 p.m. PT

Money plays a strikingly prominent role in the final days of Jesus’ life, appearing in at least thirteen key moments—from the cleansing of the temple to the betrayal for thirty pieces of silver. This three-part series will explore how the Gospels use money to illuminate themes of corruption, betrayal, and offering. By tracing these financial transactions, bribes, and sacrificial gifts, we will uncover how money shaped the events of Holy Week and consider its ongoing implications for faith today. Each session will include opportunities for discussion.

Session One: Corruption, Betrayal, and Offering – An Overview
This opening session will provide an overview of the role of money in Jesus' final week. We will examine thirteen instances in which financial transactions appear in the Gospels, setting the stage for deeper exploration of corruption, betrayal, and offering in the following sessions. RECORDING OF SESSION ONE.

Session Two: Corruption
This session will focus on the theme of corruption, from Jesus' cleansing of the temple to his denunciation of religious leaders who "devour widows’ houses." We will also consider how bribery, from Judas’ betrayal to the silencing of the guards, plays a role in the Gospel narratives. Additionally, we will critically examine the ways in which some of these texts have been used to promote anti-Judaism. RECORDING OF SESSION TWO.

Session Three: Offerings
This session will explore three acts of offering: the widow’s mite, the woman with the alabaster jar, and Jesus’ self-offering on the cross. We will examine how these acts of sacrificial giving are interwoven in the Gospels and discuss their connection to women’s patronage in the early church. RECORDING OF SESSION THREE.

This series is hosted by St. Anselm's, Lafayette's Christian Formation Commission. 

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Miguel Escobar explores Christianity’s complex relationship with money, wealth, and poverty. He is the author of The Unjust Steward: Wealth, Poverty, and the Church Today and is currently working on a second book about money in Jesus’ final week. A graduate of Union Theological Seminary (MDiv, 2007), he has held leadership roles in the Episcopal Church, including at the Episcopal Church Foundation and Episcopal Divinity School. Ordained a transitional deacon in 2025, he now serves as curate at San Andrés Episcopal Church in Brooklyn, serving in Latino ministry in Spanish. Originally from the Texas Hill Country, he studied at Our Lady of the Lake University and serves on several boards, including Episcopal Relief & Development and Friends of Forward Movement.