Jesus answered, “Go into the city, to the house of a certain man, and tell him, ‘The Master says:
My hour is near, and I will celebrate the Passover with my disciples in your house.’”
The disciples did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the Passover meal.
When it was evening, Jesus sat at table with the Twelve. While they were eating, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you: one of you will betray me.”
They were deeply distressed, and they asked him, one after the other, “You do not mean me, do you, Lord?”
He answered, “The one who dips his bread with me will betray me. The Son of Man is going as the Scriptures say he will.
But alas for that one who betrays the Son of Man: better for him not to have been born.”
Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, “You do not mean me, Master, do you?”
Jesus replied, “You have said it.”
REFLECTION:
As Jesus‘ impeding suffering and death loom ever larger, we see the drama begin to unfold. Judas puts into effect his plan of betraying his master and friend,
and Jesus attends to the details of the coming Passover meal he must celebrate with his disciples.
Meanwhile, the reading from Isaiah speaks in an almost oddly calm way about the suffering that one is about to endure.
Even the exchange between Jesus and Judas exhibits a rather strangle calmness – like facts are simply being stated, with no fanfare,
no bombast, just a plain stating of what is about to come.
Contrast this with the “distress” of the disciples and what we have is very interesting juxtaposition of the calmness of Jesus on the one hand,
and anxiety of the disciples on the other.
As the story of Holy Week unfolds, even death proves to be no match for the power of God. This does not do away with the storms of life,
nor the problems life brings, nor the difficulties and challenges of daily living. No one escapes them.
But anchored firmly in the knowledge of God’s abiding love, no torment can ever touch us.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2020