Facing the Truth

~~~ Isaiah 50:4-9A ~~~ Psalm 69 ~~~ Matthew 26:14-25 ~~~

“Surely it is not I, Lord?”

Did Jesus make a mistake when he chose Judas

 to be one of his closest followers or was 

it part of the bigger salvation plan?

What if...Judas had declined

 the invitation to follow Jesus...would one 

of the others have betrayed him?

“What are you willing to give me
if I hand him over to you?”

Judas was with Jesus every day,
yet he could not leave behind the temptations
 of the financial world.
He wanted to fill his money bag with the noisy coins.
He was not satisfied with filling his soul with the words of Jesus.

In all honesty are we that different from Judas?
It is hard to admit that we might resemble him just a little.

Jesus surrounded himself with disciples
 who exemplified all of human nature...
the good, the bad and the ugly.

Jesus kept on loving.
Jesus kept on following the will of the Father.

If we learn nothing else from the scriptures this week
it must be to see ourselves as the events unfold.

“Surely it is not I, Lord?”

We could be uttering those exact words.
We struggle with picturing ourselves wanting to harm Jesus.

The truth is like Judas we are
very attached to our material world.

Sometimes this attachment clouds our
 ability to focus on Jesus.

We too are challenged just like Judas and Peter
to admit that we are weak.
Human nature clamors for us to place
our physical world above our heavenly one.

And all too often it wins.
Surely Lord, we do not want it to be
 us that condemns you.

Blessed with the lessons taught
in the scriptures today.

~~~Peace~~~

Betrayed...Denied

~~~ Isaiah 49:1-6 ~~~ Psalm 71 ~~~ John 13:21-33, 36-38 ~~~ 

For now the LORD has spoken

who formed me as his servant from the womb...

I will make you a light to the nations,

that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

The prophet Isaiah speaks beautifully

 of Jesus being 

formed in the womb, 

as we know the womb of Mary.

We also are known by God 

while we are yet in our mother's womb.

Because God has this intimate connection with our soul;

we are wonderfully made.

God made Jesus the light for all generations.

Since we are united with Jesus

we too must be a light to others.

Holy Week is not a time for us to walk 

around in sadness,

but rather for us to accept 

how much we are loved by God.

Jesus, knowing his time is drawing near,

begins his good byes.

He loves these twelve men very much.

It must cause him much heartache

to acknowledge that one of them would

 betray him that very evening.

In addition to betrayal he also knows

 that his most trusted follower, Peter, 

would deny him three times.

Not once or twice, but three times.

Peter said to him,

“Master, why can I not follow you now? 

I will lay down my life for you.”

Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me?

Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow

before you deny me three times.”

Peter wants to immediately go with Jesus.

He loves Jesus so much that he 

is willing to die for him.

The words of Jesus pierce the heart of Peter.

His words penetrate into the essence of Peter.

He has no concept of how he could 

possibly deny the one he loves and 

admires above everyone else.

There is no way we can predict how we 

would respond in specific situations.

Jesus is the light of the world.

We must keep his light shining within our hearts.

Jesus did not cease to love Peter or Judas.

We know Peter laments his denials.

We do not know if Judas did repent in the end as well.

One thing we can be confident of

is that there is nothing we could do that

 God would not forgive.

Neither betrayal or denial can keep

 us from being blessed with God's love.

You have been loved since you were formed 

in your mother's womb.

~~~Peace~~~

Dinner Party Pedicure

~~~ Isaiah 42:1-7 ~~~ Psalm 27 ~~~ John 12:1-11 ~~~

The Lord is my light and my salvation.

The feast of Passover was just six days after 

Jesus called Lazarus from death.

They both attended a dinner honoring Jesus.

People were curious about the raising of Lazarus.

Many of the disciples of Jesus were

 in attendance including Judas.

During the meal a woman named Mary

 came to the feet of Jesus with her jar perfumed oil.

She generously emptied the entire liter of this 

precious oil over the feet of Jesus.

She did not hold back for herself one ounce.

Amid the disapproving words of Judas she 

dried his feet with her hair.

“Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages

and given to the poor?”

Judas had become so familiar with Jesus

 that he could no longer see him as the Messiah.

He thought it foolish for expensive oil

 to be 'wasted' on the feet of Jesus.

Why would this woman perform such a bizarre action?

Why would she feel the feet of Jesus were 

more important than his head? 

For Judas, was it the wasting of the oil or 

the fact that it was poured over feet of Jesus?

The scriptures indicate that he was concerned 

about the monetary value of the oil.

Jesus viewed the whole scene very

 connected to his death.

So Jesus said, “Leave her alone.

Let her keep this for the day of my burial.

After death the body is anointed with fragrant oils.

Jesus was able to experience the sweet fragrance of the oil.

He was able to experience the feeling of Mary

 tenderly caressing his feet. 

Mary gave Jesus the ultimate pedicure.

A pedicure for Jesus; can you picture such a sight?

Jesus was able to experience the pleasure 

of having his tired calloused dirty feet 

treated with loving care.

Mary emptied herself of any pretentiousness,

 with all concern for cleanliness.

She took her most prized possession, 

her hair, to dry his feet.

Which of your prized possessions 

are you willing to give to God?

What are you ready to give to him?

Is it something of great value?

Is it something you can live without?

Is it something you too much of today?

Do you feel Mary made a sacrifice?

Here is my servant whom I uphold,

my chosen one with whom I am pleased...

It is clear that Jesus was pleased 

with the actions of Mary.

It is also clear that he was 

not pleased with the attitude of Judas.

Where would you rather find yourself?

Today we are invited to come to the feet of Jesus.

Today we are invited to pour out the best 

of ourselves that we have to offer.

Be Blessed as you consider each 

aspect of this dinner party.

~~~Peace~~~

"Gift of Yahweh"

Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 1:15-17, 20-26 ~~~ Psalm 113 ~~~ John 15:9-17 ~~~

Matthias was not one of the original apostles hand picked by Jesus.

He was, however, a faithful follower and an avid believer.

He was one of about seventy disciples who had been

 with Jesus from the beginning.

If it not for this feast day we 

might not even pay attention to Matthias.

Matthias was discerned, thus chosen,

 by God to fill the position held by Judas.

The name Matthias means "gift of Yahweh".

It seems Matthias won the lottery, as lots were drawn for him.

Very little was historically recorded about Matthias. 

We can safely surmise that 

he went about preaching the gospel of Jesus.

One may wonder why Peter felt the need to replace Judas.

The Bible footnote points out the significance of the number twelve.

The number twelve was associated with the twelve tribes of Israel.

Tradition tells us that Matthias, was the one who climbed up into the tree

 to get a better look at Jesus.

He was also called Zacchaeus. 

Jesus invites himself to dine in the home of Zacchaeus.

Following this dinner meeting, he gave half of his belongings

 to Jesus and became a believer. 

Matthias was chosen by God to be named one of the apostles

 because he turned away for his corrupt ways.

He chose to enter into the circle of influence surrounding Jesus

and he was filled with grace.

Matthias was stoned to death for blasphemy.

We too can chose to enter into this circle surrounding Jesus.

We can open ourselves to be changed by Jesus.

We can experience the fullness of his grace.

It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you

Jesus speaks these words to each of us today

just as when Matthias was chosen to be one of the Apostles.

Every day Jesus chooses you to be with him...

to receive his graces...

to reside in his circle of Blessings.

~~~ Peace ~~~

Actions Have Consequences

~~~ Isaiah 50:4-9a ~~~ Psalm 69 ~~~ Matthew 26:14-25 ~~~

“What are you willing to give me
if I hand him over to you?”

We may not say these exact words, 

but we do express the same sentiment of the heart

in our sinfulness.

When we chose sin we are choosing something other than God.

We are choosing the pleasures of sin.

When we are in sin we are handing over our soul 

in much the same way Judas handed over Jesus.

They paid him thirty pieces of silver,
and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.

We may not consciously think about in a monetary way.

Judas betrayed Jesus for a bribe.

Judas betrayed Jesus for an empty promise.

Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss of friendship.

It is worth noting that the price of a slave 

was about thirty silver shekels...

the equivalent of three months wages.

Judas gave up his soul when he betrayed Jesus;

he became a slave to Satan.

Satan tempted him and seduced him into the darkness.

What would you be willing to betray Jesus for?

Would it be financial gain...

fame...or satisfactions of the flesh.

I am afraid that sometimes we commit sin 

without fully comprehending the price.

Later we will hear that Judas was distraught as he learned 

Jesus was to be killed.

Too many times our sins are committed 

with only the immediate rewards in view.

We do not see the greater consequences of our offenses.

Judas was greedy and wanted more money;

he never agreed to take part in the actual killing of Jesus.

So I can see his great remorse as the hours

 and the reality of what he had done unfolded.

What Judas put in motion he could not stop.

It was all down hill like a runaway train on a collision course.

Part of me actually feels sorry for Judas, 

because he did not allow the grace of God to stop him from acting.

Every day we must pay attention to the words of the Our Father...

...lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil...

I invite you to pray for the blessing of God's grace;

especially when you are confronted with your

'thirty pieces of silver'.

Peace.

Reflect His Glory

~~~ Isaiah 49:1-6 ~~~ Psalm 71 ~~~ John 13:21-33, 36-38 ~~~

I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

God is commissioning us to go beyond our local church community...
beyond our circle of friends.
We are called to shine our light to the ends of the earth.
Our light, which comes from the Lord,
is a reflection of his glory.
We are light because he is our source.
Without his light we would have no light of our own.

He shares his light with us through the grace of our salvation.
It is his grace that continues to keep our light burning brightly.
We must share what God has done for us.
We are called to tirelessly speak of his wondrous love.

The LORD called me from birth,
from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.
We have each been chosen by God.
He not only knows our name he has counted every hair on our head.
There is no one who could love you more.
We must let the sparkle of God's love radiate out to others.

Jesus indicates to the apostles that the one to whom
 he gives the morsel of bread will betray him.

Jesus names Judas without actually speaking his name.

After Judas took the morsel, Satan entered him.

Did Judas give his soul to Satan?
Did Satan seize upon the opportunity to take control of him?

Apparently not even the presence of Jesus is protection enough from evil.
Judas took the morsel from the hand of Jesus and Satan entered him.
This whole string of events is a little troubling.

Did Jesus know that Judas had already entered into sin in his heart?
When we have already become weakened by our own sinfulness,
 what happens next is crucial.

Jesus had to be betrayed in order for his subsequent arrest could take place.
Jesus had to be betrayed in order for us to be redeemed.

It makes me more determined to be vigilant of the state of my soul.
To be more aware of what I allow to curl up in my heart.

The evil in the heart of Judas was like a snake
waiting to strike its victim.

Jesus had the Father by his side to give him strength.
Jesus knew he would be raised from the dead by the Father.

Hold on to Jesus.
He is our strength. He is our hope.
He is our Savior.
He has made us a light to shine before others.

Blessed to be a tiny reflection of the glory of God
in a world filled with so much darkness.

Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him...

Let us glory in the cross today.
Peace.

Confronted by Truth

 

~~~ Isaiah 50:4-9a ~~~ Psalm 69 ~~~ Matthew 26:14-25 ~~~

 

'...Morning after morning
he opens my ear that I may hear...'

 

This is our call, to begin each day in prayer.

If we begin with the intention of listening for the voice of the Lord;

each day would unfold in a greater joy.

 

'...you who seek God, may your hearts revive!'

 

Our hearts would be in a constant state of revival

 if we would but keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.

I recently read some beautiful advice...

No matter what situation we find ourselves in

see only Jesus.

 

Before the night of Passover, Jesus it seems,

has already made arrangements to dine at a friend's.

There he can have a private quiet meal with his closest followers.

 

“Where do you want us to prepare
for you to eat the Passover?”

The apostles were concerned about making all of the necessary

for the feast day, but Jesus was one step ahead of them.

They were willing to complete the requirements for the Passover feast,

but it was taken care of for them by Jesus.

 

I find this to true in my life as well.

When I am anxious about some approaching responsibility;

God shows up ahead of time and gets everything in order.

 

 

Jesus is always willing to make one more attempt

at getting and keeping out attention.

 

Even if we are on the brink of making a serious mistake

Jesus makes time for us...

he invites us to dine with him...

he confronts us with the truth.

 

Jesus confronts Judas with the truth of his betrayal

during their intimate Passover meal together.

While the others present may not have understood what Jesus was saying;

Judas surely got the message.

Jesus allowed Judas to excuse himself from the group.

Jesus did not command him to leave the meal.

 

Jesus always confronts us with the truth.

I invite you to pause and reflect to day on this question.

 

Are you willing to hear what Jesus has to say to you?

If we begin each day listening to the Lord,

 the truth will not catch us by surprise.

The Fragrance of Love

 

Isaiah 42:1-7 ~~~ Psalm 27 ~~~ John 12:1-11~~~

 

The tension is building, but Jesus finds comfort and safety

sharing a meal with his friends.

Martha, Mary, and Lazarus are present.

 Some of the apostles accompany Jesus also.

Imagine the preparations for this special visit from Jesus.

Mary has been praying for days in preparation

for what she has planned for Jesus.

Jesus too must appreciate the planning and cooking

 that has taken place before he arrives.

 

He knows that his days are numbered

and this may be the last chance he has

to share in loving fellowship in their home.

 

Even Lazarus' life is in danger

 because of his close association with Jesus.

Word soon spread about Jesus raising him back to life 

 three days after his death.

 

'...the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too,
because many of the Jews were turning away
and believing in Jesus because of him.'

 

Judas is present. He is a witness to how much Jesus is loved.

Is he jealous? Does he long for a similar kind of love?

 

Soon there is a strong fragrance filling the whole house.

It is not a smell commonly associated with food cooking

or even bread baking.

It is instead the unmistakably sweet smell of perfume.

A fragrance used typically in their burial rituals.

A costly perfume reserved for the death of a loved one.

A perfume used sparingly, difficult to replace.

 

Mary brought this gift...the most valuable possession she had,

and gave it all to anoint her beloved friend, Jesus.

She gave her finest and she gave it lavishly.

She gave all of it the entire liter.

She humbly knelt at the feet of Jesus and anointed his feet.

She used her long hair to wipe the excess from his feet.

 

Judas, in particular,

 was appalled at such extravagant wastefulness.

  “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages
and given to the poor?”

 

Judas is so misguided with his loyalties.

Is it the almighty money pouch or the Almighty Messiah?

Jesus quietly and calmly responds...

 “Leave her alone.
Let her keep this for the day of my burial.
You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

The day is getting closer when Jesus will no longer be with them.

 

 

We are presented with two opposing concepts today.

...In Mary, one of total self giving...

 in Judas, one of total selfishness.

Mary pours out her love for Jesus by giving him the best she has to offer.

Judas is unable to think of anyone but himself, even as he pretends

to be concerned for the poor.

 

Mary is transparent, open, and honest about her feelings for Jesus.

Mary truly loves Jesus.

Judas is dark and deceitful about his feelings for Jesus.

Judas truly loves himself.

Jesus accepts both where they are,

 even as Judas criticizes the action of Mary.

 

Are you giving Jesus the very best you have?

Are you giving him the most precious gift of yourself?

Dear Jesus, help me to spread your fragrance

everywhere that I go.

A line taken from a beautiful song called the

Fragrance Prayer.

~Be Who You Are~

~~~ Acts 28:16-20, 30-31 ~~~ Psalm 11 ~~~ John 21: 20-25 ~~~

Today's scripture gives us the two strong 'P's'...Paul and Peter.

The first a convert and the later a close follower of Jesus.

They each offer much for us to learn about them but also ourselves.

Paul is put under house arrest where he remained for two full years receiving all who came to him. Chained to his residence nothing stopped Paul from proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about Jesus Christ.

Paul is a wonderful example of perseverance and determination. He did not give up in the face of adversity, false acquisitions, or imprisonment.

How easy it is when we are faced with far less to give up, walk away, and quit.

Paul might have easily been content with his own love and knowledge of God. He could have gone on as a free man with the knowledge of his own salvation.

But instead Paul was so convicted by his beliefs that nothing stood in the way of his inviting others to come into the fold.

Peter is inquisitive about who is to betray Jesus when later it would he who would deny knowing Jesus. Jesus replies with a reprimand, "...What concern is it of yours?"

Ouch! Peter must have felt the blow to his ego without even realizing his ego was asking the question.

Why is it that we measure those around us by our own standards?

We want to know about those with whom we associate.

Peter wanted to know who Jesus was allowing to be in his inner circle knowing he would betray him. I suppose Peter would have been more than willing to remove Judas from their group had he known in advance.

Had Jesus allowed that to happen where would we be today? This betrayal had to be allowed for the fulfillment of the scriptures. Peter could not have been permitted to prevent it from occurring; even though he meant well.

John goes on to write at the end of his Gospel that so numerous were the things that Jesus did, that 'the world could not contain the books that would be written.'

What this inspires in me is that no matter how creative I can be in thinking about all that Jesus did while he walked our earth...it could never be near enough.

We cannot fathom the infinite possibilities of the power of Jesus,

 acting always on behalf of the Father.

Jesus wants us to follow him...he does not want us to constantly compare

ourselves to those around us. We each have been given individual

gifts and they can all be used for good. For God even used the betrayal of his Son to bring about good...a good so profound that we are still reaping the benefits.

Be Blessed in all your works.

Denied and Betrayed by Friends? Really?

Isaiah 49:1-6 ~~~ Psalm 71 ~~~ John 13: 21-33, 36-38

I have long found joy in the poetic writing style of the prophets, especially Jeremiah and Isaiah. Today we hear such tender intimate words from Isaiah..."The Lord called me from birth, from my mother's womb he gave me my name..." How blessed to have that kind of connection with God to be able to say those words...and more importantly to believe them to be true.

When we go about the work of the Lord for his glory and not our own the reward is great. The prophet is of course making reference to Jesus, but is it not also true for us. If what we do for others in turn gives glory to God we can be a light to all.

Do you want to put that intention into your heart? Do you want to be light for others or are you content keeping to yourself?

The psalmist writes of salvation songs of God rescuing him from the hand of the wicked. He continues with acknowledging his total dependence on God from birth. This is the kind of trust God wants us to have in him...just as newborn must trust its mother to care for it. The difference is that the baby knows nothing else; it is completely dependent the parents for all of its needs.

We, as adults, struggle with this kind of dependence on God's providential care. We instead become worry warts and just get in God's way. On the other hand I do not think God wants us to be helpless little babies. He wants to live our lives trusting that he really does know what is best for each of us.

Peter is one Jesus' dearest friends.have been very painful for him to be told by Jesus that he would deny knowing him that very night. Throughout the New Testament Peter is someone whom we can relate to. He finds himself saying things that he later regrets. He says things before he thinks. He is so us, but denying Jesus after spending the last three years together day after day is hard to believe.

When fear grabs your body your responses are unpredictable. He was caught up in the emotions of the night. Learning that one of their own would later betray Jesus that night was shocking to Peter. 

It is best not to ever say what you would or would not do
without knowing all of the circumstances.
All of these negative things had to take place before Jesus could be glorified. He tries to explain to his followers that they could not come with him on the rest of the salvation journey. They would soon come to understand the fullness of his words.

We are forever grateful for the suffering which you endured for us, dear Jesus.

Today call or email a friend or family member;

let them know you were thinking of them.

Tell them you said a prayer for them.

Whom should I Fear?

~~~ Isaiah 42: 1-7 ~~~ Psalm 27 ~~~ John 12: 1-11 ~~~

If you have not yet read yesterday's post please go there and read about Mary, the perfumed oil and the anointing of Jesus.

John's gospel has the setting at the house of Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. We are provided much information about Judas the Iscariot and how he betrayed Jesus. Judas had his priorities upside down. Even though he was with Jesus and was witness to many of the miracles he still lost his way. Judas was devoured by material things thinking money was the answer to everything. We have people in our society to day who hold the same principle close to their heart.

But if we pay attention to the news stories or the tabloids the message is clear...money is not the answer to all our ills. The rich man was told be Jesus to sell everything and only then would he be able to follow Jesus. I do not want to be living under a bridge somewhere, but wealth requires more discipline more restraint. If you have wealth you also have a responsibility to use it wisely. Judas missed the message of the Sermon on the Mount; he could not imagine life without his money bag.

Today we have Psalm 27, one of the most familiar of all the psalms. "The Lord is my light and my salvation whom should I fear?" This psalm is one of comfort especially when grieving the death of a loved one. We are in mourning during Holy Week for whom this psalm speaks of, Jesus, Our Lord. We pray this psalm today with conviction, "I believe that I shall see the bounty of the Lord in the land of the living." We remind ourselves to, "Wait for the Lord with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord." We know without a doubt that he alone saves us...his day is near. This psalm is a prayer of hope...hope in the promises of the Lord. He will never abandon us...be not afraid.

Isaiah wants us to understand that we too have been called to follow the one who created the heavens. The one who gives breath to you and me. The one who grasps us by the hand and formed us to be a covenant of the people.

You can live up to the task.

Do not be afraid...hold his hand tightly especially in times of doubt.

"The Lord is my light and my salvation."

Jealousy...the Disease

1 Samuel 18:6-9, 19: 1-7



The book of Samuel continues...This is better than any prime time drama. The plot thickens as today we see jealousy and death wishes unravel  in a few verses.
Saul is jealous of the attention the women are giving David as they sing and dance in celebration of his victory over Goliath. He, as their King, believes he is entitled to their highest praises and acknowledgment. Sound familiar?

We see here a common human short coming; we are constantly comparing ourselves to others. Saul is doing what comes naturally. Within families we even see jealousy among siblings. It is a common dilemma for parents to not show favoritism. Jealousy is usually fueled by fear of loss. The loss can either be perceived or real.

We all want the recognition we think we deserve. Sometimes we begin to spread false accusations others. Sometimes we try to minimize the accomplishments of our competition. When in reality it would be much better if we could support one another...building up the Body of Christ together. We are all one Body, one Body in Christ. Lyric from a great song taken out of scripture.

Back to our drama...Saul shares his death plan for David with his son Jonathan. Jonathan though has developed a fondness for David and now comes to his defense. That's what friends are for, right? Friends come to your aid. Friends stand by you.

Jonathan appeals to his father's better side, reminding him of how he really is pleased with David's service and devotion. We all benefit from friends who will speak on our behalf. This is a reminder to be vigilant as I speak about others. Am I building them up or am I contributing to their surmise?

I sometimes wish I could return to innocence of childhood. Jonathan is looking through the eyes of a child and can see that David is a good person. Jonathan is able to convince Saul to spare David's life.

We have stark contrast between this episode and the betrayal of Jesus by Judas. Judas was more than a friend of Jesus; he was one of the apostles. He was well aware of all that Jesus had done for others and yet he went forward with the ultimate betrayal. We can only guess as to what may have motivated Judas to betray Jesus.

So what can we do about jealousy in our own lives? Definitely food for thought. Recognize it, Admit it, Evacuate it from you life...

I recently read this by an American Science fiction writer, Robert Heinlein :

"Jealousy is a disease, love is a healthy condition. The immature mind often mistakes one for the other, or assumes that the greater the love the greater the jealousy....but in fact they are almost incompatible; one emotion hardly leaves room for the other. Both at once can produce unbearable turmoil."

Saul and Judas were both in great turmoil. Saul was given the blessing to listen to his son; Judas hastily separated and isolated himself from any hope.

I chose this original picture of a male peacock because of it's brilliant tail feathers.

This kaleidoscope image captures some of this brilliance.

What if the other birds were jealous of the peacock's feathers?

I pray for the grace to appreciate more sincerely.