AKA - at least for me - as ‘BLACK’ FRIDAY (6 p m ‘Thursday’ to 6 p m Friday)
LESSON 3:
April 10, 2010
Specific readings for today:
John 13:18-30
Luke 22:24-30
Timeline for this portion of the evening:
Jesus told them that one of them would betray him and identifies Judas Iscariot as the one – the writers of the Gospels disagree on the timing of when that happened in the dinner
Matthew 26:21–25
Mark 14:18-21
Luke 22:21–22
John 13:18-30 Judas went out – and it was night….
While they were eating Jesus broke bread and said, “Take. Eat. This is my body.”
Matthew 26:26
Mark 14:22
Luke 22:20
Took the cup and instructed them to drink from it, telling them ‘This is my blood of the new covenant.”
Matthew 26:27-29
Mark 14:23-25
Luke 22:17-18 (says it was after the supper)
I Cor 11:23-25
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial – accounts disagree on placement
Matthew 26:31-35
Mark 14:27-31
Luke 22:33-34
John 13:31-38 John has this in the upper room – he was there….
Jesus tells Simon ‘When you have turned back’ strengthen your brothers
Luke has this happening before they go out to the Mt of Olives
Luke 22:31-32
Luke adds a bit about carrying swords….
Luke 22:35-38
Luke adds Jesus’ citing the prophecy that he was to be numbered with the transgressors
Luke 22:37
A dispute arose among them as to whom was considered to be greatest
Luke 22:24-30
After being questioned why I didn’t include some of the most significant events during Jesus journey to the cross – I decided to go back and play catch-up. In that pursuit of trying to figure out the exact timeline I spent several hours going through all of the gospels and linking where and when….
We are still in the upper room in what I am referring to as Lesson 3….but by their accounting of time, it was part of Friday. The 24 hours I am addressing in this part of the ‘post-resurrection reversal to events that preceded it’ is linear from 6 p m – 6 p m…. I’m being redundant in stating that – but someone may pop in to take a look at the blog and be totally confused otherwise.
When Judas went out and ‘it was night’ that was true in more than one sense. He had just had his feet washed by the Lord, knew that it was he who was ‘not clean’ with Jesus’ statement during the foot-washing – and yet he stayed, tried to act normal, until at last Jesus identified him specifically as the one who would betray him. Still, not everyone ‘got it.’ They supposed he was ‘going quickly’ to do something for Jesus. They weren’t paying attention. But, then, there was a lot of wine – and a lot of conversation. To them this was just another Passover commemoration. They had no idea, no clue…they hadn’t ingested Jesus’ prophetic warnings. Their ears couldn’t have helped but hear the words – but their hearts hadn’t received the message.
When Judas left that night – he knew what he was about to do. He had already made the arrangements, and now all he had to do was go alert those who would arrest Jesus. Was Judas trying to manipulate Jesus into ‘showing who He really was?’ We aren’t told. The lesson for me is to pay attention to the climate of my own heart and attitude. That Judas could walk with Jesus for all that time, and reject him compels me to pay attention. I know that my Redeemer lives. I believe in Him. And now I walk – beyond belief – to follow in His footsteps. His will. His way. His timing. It is a daily challenge.
It is very possible that Judas grew impatient with Jesus and tried to force Him to ‘play his hand’ and become the kind of Messiah the Jewish world awaited. Instead, Jesus was who they needed, not who they wanted. They wanted a vanquishing king who would rid them of the heavy yoke of tyranny – but Jesus’ kingdom was not of this world, and he didn’t come in their preconceived way.
(Thank you, Lord, that so often you give me what I need – not what I think I want. Help me trust you completely for the entire journey….)
The other thing I want to comment on briefly for today is the dispute that Luke reports. Hello? They had just had their feet washed by Messiah, God incarnate – and now they are arguing about which one is top dog? It is even possible that this conversation occurred during the foot-washing. The message fits. “I am among you as one who serves.” They liked the part about having a kingdom conferred on them – the part about sitting on thrones and judging. But they didn’t understand what that would mean – not yet….
In fact, it occurs to me that their conversation fit perfectly with the notion that Judas could have been motivated by good intentions taken into his own hands. Palm Sunday had just occurred. They were still basking in the glow of the proclamation of the Messiah – and they believed him to be the Messiah. They were focused on his kingdom coming in the way they had presupposed it would, so they were thinking about position – and who would be greatest….
Their misconception of reality was about to be challenged…seriously challenged.
Sharing for today:
WHOM?
By Lola Cain
I cannot say that I am truly a poet by set standards.
What do I remember of sonnets and iambic pentameter,
rules of line and meter,
the labor of rhyme and verse.
I can barely say that I write poetry,
but I have attempted such in times past,
spilling words onto a page
…evoking memories still.
And what is this now called poetry
which is snippets of prose –
intentional phrases woven together
to elicit response.
It is, it seems, the heart that is the poet;
the way of seeing the world,
the hand rushing to record
what the eyes of the soul perceive.
Life is poetry
and the one who absorbs it
and writes what is thereby gleaned
is a poet, by whatever means.
January 10, 2007
(Inspired by reading the poetry of Donald Hall in 2007, and Ted Kooser in 2006; both have been U S Poet Laureates – both write wonderfully – but neither write what I call poetry….so I played with their method, and this was the result.
It certainly doesn’t satisfy my criteria for ‘poetry’ – but I think there is a place for ‘Snippets of Potpourri’ aka 'free verse.')
No comments:
Post a Comment