Gospel Reading, Reflection, and Prayer for Wednesday of Holy Week
Welcome, as we share the journey together on this Wednesday of Holy Week. Like Monday and Tuesday, following a reading of the Gospel for the Day, I'm offering a short reflection, and then closing with a prayer. Today's Gospel reading is taken from St John's Gospel Chapter 13, reading verses 21 to 32 ....
Gospel Reading: John 13. 21 - 32 New International Version - UK (NIVUK).
After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, ‘Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.’ His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, ‘Ask him which one he means.’
Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, ‘Lord, who is it?’ Jesus answered, ‘It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.’ Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. So Jesus told him, ‘What you are about to do, do quickly.’ But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night. When he was gone, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.
Reflection
Choices have consequences, both for the person making the choice, and for those affected by it. Jesus chose 12 to be His apostles - His inner circle of disciples - and invested time in training them to share in His mission and ministry. Yet during Holy Week, we see how it all unravelled so quickly. Judas chose to betray Jesus, Peter chose to deny even knowing Him, and the rest chose to flee and hide following Jesus' arrest.
Perhaps that serves to remind us that even those to whom you and I look for leadership can mess up badly, make selfish choices in testing times. For they too are fallible human beings, and the choices are often made from mixed motives.
Today's Gospel reading focusses our attention on Judas. Why did he choose to betray Jesus to the authorities? We don't know. What we do know is that his choice helped to secure Jesus' arrest. We are also told that shortly after, full of remorse at what he had done to Jesus, Judas then took his own life. Judas is a tragic figure, a close follower of Jesus who is forever remembered as His betrayer. Yet Jesus knew that this would happen, just as he knew that Peter would deny Him. Perhaps as He was nailed to the cross, those words of Jesus 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing' were also a prayer for Judas, and Peter, and the others.
As you and I journey through this Holy Week, we will be reflecting on the choices made by different people around Jesus. But what about the choices we make? What motivates our choices, including those we make in response to the coronavirus pandemic? When we do get things badly wrong - and it's when, not if - how do we respond - by self-pitying despair, or else by seeking Christ's forgiveness and healing?
Prayer
Gracious God, help us to make good choices in testing times. And when we get things wrong, help us to turn to You for healing and forgiveness, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Welcome, as we share the journey together on this Wednesday of Holy Week. Like Monday and Tuesday, following a reading of the Gospel for the Day, I'm offering a short reflection, and then closing with a prayer. Today's Gospel reading is taken from St John's Gospel Chapter 13, reading verses 21 to 32 ....
Gospel Reading: John 13. 21 - 32 New International Version - UK (NIVUK).
After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, ‘Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.’ His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, ‘Ask him which one he means.’
Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, ‘Lord, who is it?’ Jesus answered, ‘It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.’ Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. So Jesus told him, ‘What you are about to do, do quickly.’ But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night. When he was gone, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.
Reflection
Choices have consequences, both for the person making the choice, and for those affected by it. Jesus chose 12 to be His apostles - His inner circle of disciples - and invested time in training them to share in His mission and ministry. Yet during Holy Week, we see how it all unravelled so quickly. Judas chose to betray Jesus, Peter chose to deny even knowing Him, and the rest chose to flee and hide following Jesus' arrest.
Perhaps that serves to remind us that even those to whom you and I look for leadership can mess up badly, make selfish choices in testing times. For they too are fallible human beings, and the choices are often made from mixed motives.
Today's Gospel reading focusses our attention on Judas. Why did he choose to betray Jesus to the authorities? We don't know. What we do know is that his choice helped to secure Jesus' arrest. We are also told that shortly after, full of remorse at what he had done to Jesus, Judas then took his own life. Judas is a tragic figure, a close follower of Jesus who is forever remembered as His betrayer. Yet Jesus knew that this would happen, just as he knew that Peter would deny Him. Perhaps as He was nailed to the cross, those words of Jesus 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing' were also a prayer for Judas, and Peter, and the others.
As you and I journey through this Holy Week, we will be reflecting on the choices made by different people around Jesus. But what about the choices we make? What motivates our choices, including those we make in response to the coronavirus pandemic? When we do get things badly wrong - and it's when, not if - how do we respond - by self-pitying despair, or else by seeking Christ's forgiveness and healing?
Prayer
Gracious God, help us to make good choices in testing times. And when we get things wrong, help us to turn to You for healing and forgiveness, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.