What does this scene tell us about God? What does it tell us about ourselves? And what does it tell us about our relationship with God? These are three questions I often ask myself as I read scripture. (I think I learned it from Disciple.)
What does this scripture tell me about God?
God has a plan. "Go into the city to a certain man..." "...after I am raised up, I will go ahead of you to Galilee."God is all-knowing. God knows the future. "One of you will betray me."
"Woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born." Remember what happened to Judas after the betrayal? "You will all become deserters because of me this night..." "...you will deny me three times."
God desires to spend time with us. "He took his place with the twelve..." How many places were there? Who else was at the last supper? "...Jesus took the loaf of bread...then he took the cup...he gave it to them...when they sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives."
What does this scripture tell me about myself?
I think I know best. "What will you give me if I betray him to you?" Don't you think Judas was trying to force Jesus into being the revolutionary, the King, that Judas knew he could be? Maybe I'm a sucker, but I have compassion for Judas. And if Judas hadn't betrayed Jesus, how would God's plan have been fulfilled?
I like to have a plan...to know the plan. "Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?" I don't always follow a plan, but I like to have one. I like to know what's going to happen next.
I know that I have good intentions, but I don't always follow through. "Surely not I, Lord?" It's interesting to me that all of the disciples asked that question. I think to ask it, is to know that it is possibly you. "Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you." "And so said all the disciples." And so say I, and yet...
I like to have a plan...to know the plan. "Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?" I don't always follow a plan, but I like to have one. I like to know what's going to happen next.
I know that I have good intentions, but I don't always follow through. "Surely not I, Lord?" It's interesting to me that all of the disciples asked that question. I think to ask it, is to know that it is possibly you. "Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you." "And so said all the disciples." And so say I, and yet...
What does this scripture tell me about my relationship with God?
God and I love each other. God's love is pure, unending, unchanging. The fact that Jesus took his place with the twelve, that he broke the bread with them, that he told them what was going to happen--even though he knew they would betray him, they would scatter, that they wondered aloud if they were the one, Jesus stayed. That's a love beyond comprehension. My love for God is less. I paused there with "My love for God is" for a long time. The only thing I can come up with is less. I want to love like Jesus, but I'm not there yet. Thankfully, that's not a condition on the love that God has for me.
My favorite line is from Matthew 26:27..right at the end. Jesus says, "Drink for it, all of you..." ALL OF YOU. Friends, disciples, deserters, betrayer...all of you.
My favorite line is from Matthew 26:27..right at the end. Jesus says, "Drink for it, all of you..." ALL OF YOU. Friends, disciples, deserters, betrayer...all of you.
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