Maundy Thursday – Finding a place for women at the last supper.

Six days before the Passover, Jesus was in the house of Martha, Lazarus and Mary in Bethany. If you walked down the Golden Gate that was attached to the temple (now sealed) and walked into and out of the Kidron valley you would arrive at the Mount of Olives on which is situated the garden of Gethsemane. Just over the mountain was Bethany. It is here that Jesus often found rest among friends.

John 12:2 tells us that on this occasion, Lazarus was present and so was Martha who was serving (that seems to always be her preoccupation). Also in the house was Mary and once again we find her at the feet of Jesus. I am not going to disparage work over worship but perhaps we see too little of ‘sitting at his feet’ over ‘serving at his table.’

Mary pours a pound of pure nard on his feet and wipes it with her hair. It was not uncommon for someone’s feet to be washed. This Roman culture had been well incorporated out of sheer necessity into Judean living. But on this occasion, the actions of Mary have to be seen as an act of supreme love that must have surely made a deep impact on the life of Jesus. This was something that he must have remembered fondly.

Six days later at the Passover, Jesus was down on his knees doing the unimaginable. Jesus took the role of a slave when he washed the feet of one who would betray, the other who would deny and nine who would desert him. Only John stood by the foot of the cross. It is no wonder that he richly deserves the title, ‘the one whom Jesus loved.’

I want to throw in a wild card here; a thought that may be pure conjecture but worth a pastoral implication. What if Jesus was so deeply struck by the act of love that Mary performed six days ago, that he felt prompted to do the same? Jesus did not use pure nard, just a towel and water but the extravagance of love cannot be lost on us considering whose feet he washed.

Like Mary, whose actions were seen as scandalous, the act of washing his disciple’s feet was seen as scandalous. Yet he did it for love’s sake, the same love that prompted Mary’s actions. It was meant to be a ripple effect; Mary, Jesus, you and me. Jesus said it in no uncertain terms, “If I then, your Lord and Master have washed your feet, you should wash each other’s feet.” Women create beautiful ripples that we need to acknowledge and commemorate.

The action of Mary of Bethany was not just driven by love but her actions inadvertently said much more when she ‘anointed’ his feet. The word Messiah means ‘the anointed one.’ Here was the anointed one being anointed by a woman. Mary did not anoint him with a title but anointed him for his burial. (John 12:7)

Permit yourself this pastoral luxury for once, without letting your theology scream blue murder at you. Think about it, It was a woman who had the privilege of ‘anointing’ the lord before his death. She administered the ‘anointing’ (I am not calling it a sacrament). Guess what, the role of women did not end there. To the one man who stood at the foot of the cross there were several women, to the many men who abandoned the lord there were the women of Jerusalem mourning unabashedly on the via dolorosa and it was to a woman that the Lord will first appear at his resurrection.

Yes, there was no seat assigned for a woman at the last supper but that does not mean there was no place in the heart of Jesus for them.

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Have you sold him for less? Wednesday, in Holy Week – Matthew 26:24-25

For the last two weeks, post-Laetare Sunday, we have heard the proclamation of John’s Gospel. Yet today we hear a text from the Gospel according to Matthew because it brings us up to speed with details that led to the death of Jesus. This is the third straight day in Holy Week that Judas will find mention in the Gospel and he will do so for all the wrong reasons.

Why should we focus on a betrayer rather than a Saviour? The answer is simple; the age of betrayers will never end as long as satan continues to hover around. This defeated enemy does not take defeat too well. Remember this; he succeeded in getting into the mind of one of the twelve. These were the closest to Jesus. He does not need everyone to work for him, he only needs one; he may just need you! Judas cracked open the door of his life to satan when he began to steal from the common fund and satan pushed his way right in. The game was now afoot, and the plot now thickens.

Some might think that Judas was a fait accompli; no, he was not. Do not let your mind afford such frivolous thoughts.  It is not that Judas was ‘chosen’ from the beginning to be the betrayer. His compulsions, whatever they may be, are exposed by his words that condemn him. He went to the chief priests. He negotiated a deal for a consideration of money. It was greed that satan used to trip him into the fires of hell. This was all Judas’ doing.

But while greed was his motivation one finds the consideration ridiculously low. This was the base price set in the scriptures for the price of a slave (Exodus 21:32). So why would one who is greedy settle on such a base price? Perhaps enjoyed to his ‘need for greed’ was also an animosity that Judas harboured against Jesus.

The text preceding this one tells us that Jesus was at the home of Simon the Leper when a woman (In John’s Gospel it is Mary) takes an alabaster jar of very costly ointment (in John’s Gospel it is pure nard) and pours it on his head (in John’s Gospel it is his feet). The disciples are very angry asking why was this ointment not sold for a large sum of money and given to the poor (In John’s Gospel it is Judas).

Perhaps Judas was miffed by the rebuke of Jesus when he said, “Leave her alone.” Perhaps he questioned if this was the Messiah. Perhaps, being the only Judean among the eleven Galilean disciples, he felt left out. Whatever his reason, he actively chose to betray the Son of God. Betrayal of God does not necessarily need a price. God is betrayed for far smaller considerations today.

Think of a punishment you would give to one who betrayed you so cheaply. I am sure you are conjuring up some dreadful scenarios in your head. To a man whom Jesus knew was betraying him, a seat at an intimate meal was reserved. Judas was still welcome to sit at the table of grace. There was still a chance to make things right but he chose not to. Why do I say I say so? The RSV translation of the Bible gives us the clue.

Jesus announces midway into the meal that one of the twelve would betray him. Their shock is understandable and the response is remarkable for two reasons. None of them looked around the table and pointed a finger at a possible suspect. Each in their turn asked, “Is it I, LORD?” Only Judas asked, “Is it I, RABBI?” For the rest, Jesus was Lord, the Messiah, the Saviour. For Judas, he was still A TEACHER, like any other teacher of that time, easily dispensable. Big mistake Judas, big mistake!

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John, Peter or Judas? Tuesday in Holy Week – John 13:21-33, 36-38

Most of us live in the belief that the problems we face are unique to our experience. We justify it by saying, “Oh you don’t know what I am going through.” That is far from the truth, for while I may not fully understand your situation, I can draw circles that overlap our human experiences of pain.

We tend to think of Jesus’ sufferings as far removed from ours. We get lost in his divinity and negate his humanity. We tend to assume that even though he ‘suffered,’ his sufferings could not be that bad because he is God. Right? No actually you’re wrong and several texts from scripture accurately present us with his humanity in order that we may not forget that we have one who suffered; suffered with us and for us.

If you read John 14:1, Jesus says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled, believe in God and believe in me.” That may sound a bit ironic when you read the text of today which tells us that “Jesus was troubled in spirit.” (John 13:21). Right away we know that the one who needed consolation, having experienced a troubled heart, goes on to offer us consolation in our hour of fear.

But what was it that troubled the heart of this gentle saviour? We know that fear of his suffering will engulf Jesus much later, in the Garden of Gethsemane but for now his heart is troubled because one of his closest is soon to betray him. That’s a harsh reality to face and that is a human experience many of us have had; a loved one who has stabbed us in the back.

But also in plain sight of this text is “the one whom Jesus loved.” What a lovely title to be known by. It’s not a title that Jesus gave like he did with Peter when he called him the rock. John was not bestowed with a title but rather he was known by this title. That says a lot; it speaks of the fact that everyone knew the love that Jesus had for John. Was there an unfair edge that John took advantage of? Think about it, Jesus could pierce hearts and if John tried to fool Jesus with his flummery he would have ended up like Judas. One can only conclude that John loved Jesus and Jesus loved him right back. Here is a question for you -Am I the one that Jesus loves, or is my claim to fame, ‘my love for Jesus?’

The text of John’s Gospel tells us that Jesus not only declared his betrayal but identifies his betrayer. Jesus announces that he will dip the bread into the dish and give it to the betrayer. This is the last supper. This is the supper at which the Lord instituted the Eucharist. This is the meal at which bread was transformed into his body.  Guess who was the first to receive Holy Communion at the hands of the Lord himself? Irony abounds…..

The scripture of today tells us that Judas received Christ’s body and yet he did not fight satan who entered into him after this. Jesus could see that even though Judas was nourished by the bread of life, he made a choice to follow the way of satan and Jesus had to let him make his choices. “Do quickly what you are going to do.”

I am not sure if the rest of the eleven had recovered from the shock of knowing that Judas was to betray Jesus or were in denial of tragedy that was unfolding quickly. They seem confused by Jesus’ instructions to Judas to do what he was to do and to do it quickly. In any case, this was a done deal. Scripture tells us that as soon as Judas left, “it was night.” Sin is darkness and when we walk out of the light we walk into darkness.

Finally, our narrative takes us to the words of Peter. Words that we have said time and time again, “I will lay down my life for you (Jesus).” It is beautiful to know that Jesus understands human frailty. It does not shock Jesus to know that we will fail him. He knew Peter would fail. After his resurrection he addressed Peter’s failing not with condemnation but renewal. Do you renew your love for me, “do you love me?”

The text has so much to reflect on. I have tears in my eyes as the thoughts flow and my fingers type. I could be John who was loved and loved in return. I could be Peter who loved, yet let fear take over (not the first time, he did it on the lake of Galilee too) and deny the Lord. I could be Judas who was the first to be given the Lord’s body at the first Eucharist and yet be the one who chose to betray the Lord. 

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Rewind or Fast Forward? Saturday, 5th Week in Lent – Ezekiel 37:21-28/ John 11:45-56

I am reminded of our old music systems which we called the ‘cassette player.’  It had a rewind, fast forward, play, pause and record button. The readings on the eve of Palm Sunday seem to reflect these buttons. The first reading is God hitting the rewind button as if to make it all disappear and go back to a fresh start. The Gospel is the play button, for the passion of Christ begins with the Lazarus narrative; “it was on his account that they wanted to put Jesus to death.” There will be moments when the passion of Christ will become too painful to hear or you may simply wish the Sacred Tridum to hurry up and fast forward to Easter. Good Friday will be the big pause but the week to come has been recorded so that we never forget what God has done for us.

The first reading taken from Ezekiel portrays a God in a hurry to wipe the slate clean. In Eight verses, he desires to rewind several centuries of Israel’s history of sin. This is not because God is embarrassed by his divine retribution for his ‘chosen people’ but rather because he has caved in out of love. He is a God who begged, and pleaded for his people to change but was left with indifference leading to divine retribution. Yet the anger of God melts in Ezekiel 37 like butter on a hot day.

God wants to go back to the days of David; one kingdom and not two. One nation and not two (northern kingdom and southern kingdom). One God and not to the many they had appropriated. God hits the rewind button to go back to the past and erase the Assyrian and Babylonian exile, the destruction of the temple and the city of Jerusalem.  The eve of the Holy Week begins with God desiring to make all things right for the love of his people.

The Gospel however tells us that for man it is business as usual. This time they are in the business of murder and the ones doing the plotting are members of the highest religious body. The meeting of the Pharisees and the chief priest betrays their unbelief versus the belief of the people. It reveals their plotting and scheming over the love that the people have for Jesus.

One may feign disbelief, but history has borne witness to the halls of sacred places that have dripped with the blood of the innocent, sanctioned by ‘religious men.’ The best of us can switch places with Caiphas or the Pharisees or Judas. Guarding our souls is a serious business especially when we claim to have taken the moral high ground. The hands that sacrificed to God may also be the hands that drip with human blood; all done in God’s name.

The Holy Week is upon us. You may have let this season of Lent pass you by but don’t let this week slip by too. This is the week that changed the world. This could be the week that changes you.

Do leave your thoughts in the comment box……

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Meet Jeremiah; the seemingly unhinged prophet – Friday, 5th week in Lent – Jeremiah 20:10-13/ John 10:31-42

The text of today can be divided into three movements. The attack on the Lord’s faithful (20:10), the protection of the Lord’s faithful (20:11), and the vindication of the Lord’s faithful (20:12-13).

Jeremiah did not want this job, God forced it upon him. In the preceding text, Jeremiah tells the Lord in no uncertain terms that God ‘enticed’ him (some translations have the word seduced) and he was ‘overpowered’ into taking this job. Far from the ‘honour’ that he thought the job of a prophet would bring, he finds himself a ‘laughingstock’ a man who is ‘mocked,’ his voice disregarded and so he has to ‘shout his prophecy’ but worst of all, his very words that should have struck fear are used against him.

Jeremiah wanted to quit. Chapter 20:9 tells us that he had enough. He wanted to give in his resignation but God had overpowered his heart. “If I say I will not mention him or speak his name or speak any more in his name, then within me is something like a burning fire shut up in my bones.”

The attack on the Lord’s faithful 20:10

The text of today tells us the hate that Jeremiah experienced from the people and even from the priest Pashur (20:1) who struck him and put him in stocks. His ‘close friends’ (verse 10) watch and wait for him to stumble. Others think they can make Jeremiah change his doomsday prophecy by ‘enticing’ him and then once he has changed his message they will destroy the messenger.

The protection of the Lord’s faithful 20:11

Our faith in the protection of God does not come from theoretical knowledge. Those who have trusted in the Lord have seen the Lord come through for them. Jeremiah has experienced hate and isolation because he brings the message of God but he also expresses the sure hope that God will not desert him. Echoing the words of Psalm 22, he says, “But the Lord is with me” and he is my undefeated champion.

 Interestingly the defeat of the enemy comes not because God has made a promise to Jeremiah but because Jeremiah lived the promise of God. Jeremiah says, “The Lord is with me like a dread warrior; THEREFORE, my persecutors will stumble.” Jeremiah is confident of the promises of God and even more predicts accurately what will happen to his enemies. He uses five deadly words that describe the Babylonian captivity; his enemies stumble, they did not prevail, they are greatly shamed, they did not succeed and their eternal dishonour will not be forgotten.

The vindication of the Lord’s faithful 20:12-13.

The Lord’s faithful don’t get free passes. Jeremiah asserts that God has tested their hearts and minds. If you call down blue murder on one who has hurt you, don’t be surprised if God does not come through for you. Your heart and mind have also been tested (verse 12) God does not come through for you because you bandy the name ‘Christian’ on your t-shirt, or because you wear a cross around your neck or make an occasional offering to St Anthony.  God sees the heart and the mind, so get that fixed while you wish your neighbour to be fixed.

Those who are pure of heart (Matthew 5:8) see the will of God and allow God to do what he thinks best. Jeremiah asserts that truth. He seeks God’s vindication and may even come across as vengeful when he says, “Let me see your retribution upon them.” However, he does not take retribution into his own hands; “for to YOU I have committed my cause.” Let God decide the time, the place and the measure of his protection for you.

Is it all that easy? Just three movements? Read the next few verses, and Jeremiah is back to doubting God’s presence. It’s the fourth movement; ‘the fall of the Lord’s faithful.’ Take consolation from the prophets. These holy men struggled with faith as much as you and I do.

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