Proverbs 2:6-20
The Message (MSG)
6-8 And here's why: God gives out Wisdom free,
is plainspoken in Knowledge and Understanding.
He's a rich mine of Common Sense for those who live well,
a personal bodyguard to the candid and sincere.
He keeps his eye on all who live honestly,
and pays special attention to his loyally committed ones.
9-15 So now you can pick out what's true and fair,
find all the good trails!
Lady Wisdom will be your close friend,
and Brother Knowledge your pleasant companion.
Good Sense will scout ahead for danger,
Insight will keep an eye out for you.
They'll keep you from making wrong turns,
or following the bad directions
Of those who are lost themselves
and can't tell a trail from a tumbleweed,
These losers who make a game of evil
and throw parties to celebrate perversity,
Traveling paths that go nowhere,
wandering in a maze of detours and dead ends.
16-19 Wise friends will rescue you from the Temptress—
that smooth-talking Seductress
Who's faithless to the husband she married years ago,
never gave a second thought to her promises before God.
Her whole way of life is doomed;
every step she takes brings her closer to hell.
No one who joins her company ever comes back,
ever sets foot on the path to real living.
20-22 So—join the company of good men and women,
keep your feet on the tried-and-true paths.
It's the men who walk straight who will settle this land,
the women with integrity who will last here.
The corrupt will lose their lives;
the dishonest will be gone for good.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Friday, June 8, 2012
Wow! Has it really been almost 2 months since I have last posted? It's amazing how quickly and easily the busy-ness of life can swallow you up. That's no excuse to neglect the Lord, and I've tried to stay in close contact with Him these past couple of months. At times I've done a good job of it and, at other times, I've failed miserably.
Staying connected to Him is a constant struggle for me. My short attention span is my downfall. Just when I feel like I'm walking with Him, something distracts me and, like a kitten chasing a ball of yarn, I move haphazardly in another direction.
I'm ashamed to admit it, but after a day of work, cooking dinner, feeding the baby, playing with the baby, bathing the baby, putting the baby to bed, doing the dishes, cleaning up the house, throwing in a load of laundry, and sparing a few precious moments of time with my husband, I just don't have the energy to pray. I often find myself starting a prayer and falling asleep in the middle of it. I find that worship for me consists of short bursts of prayer or praise rather than regular, scheduled time.
I know I should put Him FIRST, I just haven't figured out how to do that without neglecting something or someone else. Not an excuse, just a miserable explanation.
The one time of the day when I feel able to worship is, believe it or not, in my car on the way to work. It is usually the only time of the day when I am alone. Sometimes I pray while driving, other times I worship Him through music.
One song that gets me every time is "I Won't Go Back" by William McDowell. This song is sure to have me in tears every time I listen to it. For whatever reason, it really moves my spirit, probably more so than any other song I have ever heard.
I hope you are enjoying your spring/summer, and finding time to commune with God, whether via formal worship, regular prayer sessions or, in my case, little stolen moments throughout the day.
God Bless!
Staying connected to Him is a constant struggle for me. My short attention span is my downfall. Just when I feel like I'm walking with Him, something distracts me and, like a kitten chasing a ball of yarn, I move haphazardly in another direction.
I'm ashamed to admit it, but after a day of work, cooking dinner, feeding the baby, playing with the baby, bathing the baby, putting the baby to bed, doing the dishes, cleaning up the house, throwing in a load of laundry, and sparing a few precious moments of time with my husband, I just don't have the energy to pray. I often find myself starting a prayer and falling asleep in the middle of it. I find that worship for me consists of short bursts of prayer or praise rather than regular, scheduled time.
I know I should put Him FIRST, I just haven't figured out how to do that without neglecting something or someone else. Not an excuse, just a miserable explanation.
The one time of the day when I feel able to worship is, believe it or not, in my car on the way to work. It is usually the only time of the day when I am alone. Sometimes I pray while driving, other times I worship Him through music.
One song that gets me every time is "I Won't Go Back" by William McDowell. This song is sure to have me in tears every time I listen to it. For whatever reason, it really moves my spirit, probably more so than any other song I have ever heard.
I hope you are enjoying your spring/summer, and finding time to commune with God, whether via formal worship, regular prayer sessions or, in my case, little stolen moments throughout the day.
God Bless!
Monday, April 9, 2012
He is Risen
Matthew 27
3-4Judas, the one who betrayed him, realized that Jesus was doomed. Overcome with remorse, he gave back the thirty silver coins to the high priests, saying, "I've sinned. I've betrayed an innocent man."
They said, "What do we care? That's your problem!"
5Judas threw the silver coins into the Temple and left. Then he went out and hung himself.
6-10The high priests picked up the silver pieces, but then didn't know what to do with them. "It wouldn't be right to give this—a payment for murder!—as an offering in the Temple." They decided to get rid of it by buying the "Potter's Field" and use it as a burial place for the homeless. That's how the field got called "Murder Meadow," a name that has stuck to this day. Then Jeremiah's words became history:
They took the thirty silver pieces,
The price of the one priced by some sons of Israel,
And they purchased the potter's field.
And so they unwittingly followed the divine instructions to the letter.
Jesus said, "If you say so."
12-14But when the accusations rained down hot and heavy from the high priests and religious leaders, he said nothing. Pilate asked him, "Do you hear that long list of accusations? Aren't you going to say something?" Jesus kept silence—not a word from his mouth. The governor was impressed, really impressed.
15-18It was an old custom during the Feast for the governor to pardon a single prisoner named by the crowd. At the time, they had the infamous Jesus Barabbas in prison. With the crowd before him, Pilate said, "Which prisoner do you want me to pardon: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus the so-called Christ?" He knew it was through sheer spite that they had turned Jesus over to him.
19While court was still in session, Pilate's wife sent him a message: "Don't get mixed up in judging this noble man. I've just been through a long and troubled night because of a dream about him."
20Meanwhile, the high priests and religious leaders had talked the crowd into asking for the pardon of Barabbas and the execution of Jesus.
21The governor asked, "Which of the two do you want me to pardon?"
They said, "Barabbas!"
22"Then what do I do with Jesus, the so-called Christ?"
They all shouted, "Nail him to a cross!"
23He objected, "But for what crime?"
But they yelled all the louder, "Nail him to a cross!"
24When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere and that a riot was imminent, he took a basin of water and washed his hands in full sight of the crowd, saying, "I'm washing my hands of responsibility for this man's death. From now on, it's in your hands. You're judge and jury."
25The crowd answered, "We'll take the blame, we and our children after us."
26Then he pardoned Barabbas. But he had Jesus whipped, and then handed over for crucifixion.
32-34Along the way they came on a man from Cyrene named Simon and made him carry Jesus' cross. Arriving at Golgotha, the place they call "Skull Hill," they offered him a mild painkiller (a mixture of wine and myrrh), but when he tasted it he wouldn't drink it.
35-40After they had finished nailing him to the cross and were waiting for him to die, they whiled away the time by throwing dice for his clothes. Above his head they had posted the criminal charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews. Along with him, they also crucified two criminals, one to his right, the other to his left. People passing along the road jeered, shaking their heads in mock lament: "You bragged that you could tear down the Temple and then rebuild it in three days—so show us your stuff! Save yourself! If you're really God's Son, come down from that cross!"
41-44The high priests, along with the religion scholars and leaders, were right there mixing it up with the rest of them, having a great time poking fun at him: "He saved others—he can't save himself! King of Israel, is he? Then let him get down from that cross. We'll all become believers then! He was so sure of God—well, let him rescue his 'Son' now—if he wants him! He did claim to be God's Son, didn't he?" Even the two criminals crucified next to him joined in the mockery.
45-46From noon to three, the whole earth was dark. Around mid-afternoon Jesus groaned out of the depths, crying loudly, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?"
47-49Some bystanders who heard him said, "He's calling for Elijah." One of them ran and got a sponge soaked in sour wine and lifted it on a stick so he could drink. The others joked, "Don't be in such a hurry. Let's see if Elijah comes and saves him."
50But Jesus, again crying out loudly, breathed his last.
51-53At that moment, the Temple curtain was ripped in two, top to bottom. There was an earthquake, and rocks were split in pieces. What's more, tombs were opened up, and many bodies of believers asleep in their graves were raised. (After Jesus' resurrection, they left the tombs, entered the holy city, and appeared to many.)
54The captain of the guard and those with him, when they saw the earthquake and everything else that was happening, were scared to death. They said, "This has to be the Son of God!"
55-56There were also quite a few women watching from a distance, women who had followed Jesus from Galilee in order to serve him. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the Zebedee brothers.
62-64After sundown, the high priests and Pharisees arranged a meeting with Pilate. They said, "Sir, we just remembered that that liar announced while he was still alive, 'After three days I will be raised.' We've got to get that tomb sealed until the third day. There's a good chance his disciples will come and steal the corpse and then go around saying, 'He's risen from the dead.' Then we'll be worse off than before, the final deceit surpassing the first."
65-66Pilate told them, "You will have a guard. Go ahead and secure it the best you can." So they went out and secured the tomb, sealing the stone and posting guards.
5-6The angel spoke to the women: "There is nothing to fear here. I know you're looking for Jesus, the One they nailed to the cross. He is not here. He was raised, just as he said. Come and look at the place where he was placed.
7"Now, get on your way quickly and tell his disciples, 'He is risen from the dead. He is going on ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.' That's the message."
8-10The women, deep in wonder and full of joy, lost no time in leaving the tomb. They ran to tell the disciples. Then Jesus met them, stopping them in their tracks. "Good morning!" he said. They fell to their knees, embraced his feet, and worshiped him. Jesus said, "You're holding on to me for dear life! Don't be frightened like that. Go tell my brothers that they are to go to Galilee, and that I'll meet them there."
11-15Meanwhile, the guards had scattered, but a few of them went into the city and told the high priests everything that had happened. They called a meeting of the religious leaders and came up with a plan: They took a large sum of money and gave it to the soldiers, bribing them to say, "His disciples came in the night and stole the body while we were sleeping." They assured them, "If the governor hears about your sleeping on duty, we will make sure you don't get blamed." The soldiers took the bribe and did as they were told. That story, cooked up in the Jewish High Council, is still going around.
16-17Meanwhile, the eleven disciples were on their way to Galilee, headed for the mountain Jesus had set for their reunion. The moment they saw him they worshiped him. Some, though, held back, not sure about worship, about risking themselves totally.
18-20Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: "God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age."
Thirty Silver Coins
1-2 In the first light of dawn, all the high priests and religious leaders met and put the finishing touches on their plot to kill Jesus. Then they tied him up and paraded him to Pilate, the governor.3-4Judas, the one who betrayed him, realized that Jesus was doomed. Overcome with remorse, he gave back the thirty silver coins to the high priests, saying, "I've sinned. I've betrayed an innocent man."
They said, "What do we care? That's your problem!"
5Judas threw the silver coins into the Temple and left. Then he went out and hung himself.
6-10The high priests picked up the silver pieces, but then didn't know what to do with them. "It wouldn't be right to give this—a payment for murder!—as an offering in the Temple." They decided to get rid of it by buying the "Potter's Field" and use it as a burial place for the homeless. That's how the field got called "Murder Meadow," a name that has stuck to this day. Then Jeremiah's words became history:
They took the thirty silver pieces,
The price of the one priced by some sons of Israel,
And they purchased the potter's field.
And so they unwittingly followed the divine instructions to the letter.
Pilate
11Jesus was placed before the governor, who questioned him: "Are you the 'King of the Jews'?"Jesus said, "If you say so."
12-14But when the accusations rained down hot and heavy from the high priests and religious leaders, he said nothing. Pilate asked him, "Do you hear that long list of accusations? Aren't you going to say something?" Jesus kept silence—not a word from his mouth. The governor was impressed, really impressed.
15-18It was an old custom during the Feast for the governor to pardon a single prisoner named by the crowd. At the time, they had the infamous Jesus Barabbas in prison. With the crowd before him, Pilate said, "Which prisoner do you want me to pardon: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus the so-called Christ?" He knew it was through sheer spite that they had turned Jesus over to him.
19While court was still in session, Pilate's wife sent him a message: "Don't get mixed up in judging this noble man. I've just been through a long and troubled night because of a dream about him."
20Meanwhile, the high priests and religious leaders had talked the crowd into asking for the pardon of Barabbas and the execution of Jesus.
21The governor asked, "Which of the two do you want me to pardon?"
They said, "Barabbas!"
22"Then what do I do with Jesus, the so-called Christ?"
They all shouted, "Nail him to a cross!"
23He objected, "But for what crime?"
But they yelled all the louder, "Nail him to a cross!"
24When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere and that a riot was imminent, he took a basin of water and washed his hands in full sight of the crowd, saying, "I'm washing my hands of responsibility for this man's death. From now on, it's in your hands. You're judge and jury."
25The crowd answered, "We'll take the blame, we and our children after us."
26Then he pardoned Barabbas. But he had Jesus whipped, and then handed over for crucifixion.
The Crucifixion
27-31The soldiers assigned to the governor took Jesus into the governor's palace and got the entire brigade together for some fun. They stripped him and dressed him in a red toga. They plaited a crown from branches of a thornbush and set it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand for a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mocking reverence: "Bravo, King of the Jews!" they said. "Bravo!" Then they spit on him and hit him on the head with the stick. When they had had their fun, they took off the toga and put his own clothes back on him. Then they proceeded out to the crucifixion.32-34Along the way they came on a man from Cyrene named Simon and made him carry Jesus' cross. Arriving at Golgotha, the place they call "Skull Hill," they offered him a mild painkiller (a mixture of wine and myrrh), but when he tasted it he wouldn't drink it.
35-40After they had finished nailing him to the cross and were waiting for him to die, they whiled away the time by throwing dice for his clothes. Above his head they had posted the criminal charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews. Along with him, they also crucified two criminals, one to his right, the other to his left. People passing along the road jeered, shaking their heads in mock lament: "You bragged that you could tear down the Temple and then rebuild it in three days—so show us your stuff! Save yourself! If you're really God's Son, come down from that cross!"
41-44The high priests, along with the religion scholars and leaders, were right there mixing it up with the rest of them, having a great time poking fun at him: "He saved others—he can't save himself! King of Israel, is he? Then let him get down from that cross. We'll all become believers then! He was so sure of God—well, let him rescue his 'Son' now—if he wants him! He did claim to be God's Son, didn't he?" Even the two criminals crucified next to him joined in the mockery.
45-46From noon to three, the whole earth was dark. Around mid-afternoon Jesus groaned out of the depths, crying loudly, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?"
47-49Some bystanders who heard him said, "He's calling for Elijah." One of them ran and got a sponge soaked in sour wine and lifted it on a stick so he could drink. The others joked, "Don't be in such a hurry. Let's see if Elijah comes and saves him."
50But Jesus, again crying out loudly, breathed his last.
51-53At that moment, the Temple curtain was ripped in two, top to bottom. There was an earthquake, and rocks were split in pieces. What's more, tombs were opened up, and many bodies of believers asleep in their graves were raised. (After Jesus' resurrection, they left the tombs, entered the holy city, and appeared to many.)
54The captain of the guard and those with him, when they saw the earthquake and everything else that was happening, were scared to death. They said, "This has to be the Son of God!"
55-56There were also quite a few women watching from a distance, women who had followed Jesus from Galilee in order to serve him. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the Zebedee brothers.
The Tomb
57-61Late in the afternoon a wealthy man from Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus, arrived. His name was Joseph. He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. Pilate granted his request. Joseph took the body and wrapped it in clean linens, put it in his own tomb, a new tomb only recently cut into the rock, and rolled a large stone across the entrance. Then he went off. But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary stayed, sitting in plain view of the tomb.62-64After sundown, the high priests and Pharisees arranged a meeting with Pilate. They said, "Sir, we just remembered that that liar announced while he was still alive, 'After three days I will be raised.' We've got to get that tomb sealed until the third day. There's a good chance his disciples will come and steal the corpse and then go around saying, 'He's risen from the dead.' Then we'll be worse off than before, the final deceit surpassing the first."
65-66Pilate told them, "You will have a guard. Go ahead and secure it the best you can." So they went out and secured the tomb, sealing the stone and posting guards.
Matthew 28
Risen from the Dead
1-4 After the Sabbath, as the first light of the new week dawned, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to keep vigil at the tomb. Suddenly the earth reeled and rocked under their feet as God's angel came down from heaven, came right up to where they were standing. He rolled back the stone and then sat on it. Shafts of lightning blazed from him. His garments shimmered snow-white. The guards at the tomb were scared to death. They were so frightened, they couldn't move.5-6The angel spoke to the women: "There is nothing to fear here. I know you're looking for Jesus, the One they nailed to the cross. He is not here. He was raised, just as he said. Come and look at the place where he was placed.
7"Now, get on your way quickly and tell his disciples, 'He is risen from the dead. He is going on ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.' That's the message."
8-10The women, deep in wonder and full of joy, lost no time in leaving the tomb. They ran to tell the disciples. Then Jesus met them, stopping them in their tracks. "Good morning!" he said. They fell to their knees, embraced his feet, and worshiped him. Jesus said, "You're holding on to me for dear life! Don't be frightened like that. Go tell my brothers that they are to go to Galilee, and that I'll meet them there."
11-15Meanwhile, the guards had scattered, but a few of them went into the city and told the high priests everything that had happened. They called a meeting of the religious leaders and came up with a plan: They took a large sum of money and gave it to the soldiers, bribing them to say, "His disciples came in the night and stole the body while we were sleeping." They assured them, "If the governor hears about your sleeping on duty, we will make sure you don't get blamed." The soldiers took the bribe and did as they were told. That story, cooked up in the Jewish High Council, is still going around.
16-17Meanwhile, the eleven disciples were on their way to Galilee, headed for the mountain Jesus had set for their reunion. The moment they saw him they worshiped him. Some, though, held back, not sure about worship, about risking themselves totally.
18-20Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: "God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age."
Friday, April 6, 2012
Maundy Thursday and Good Friday
Matthew 26
Anointed for Burial
1-2 When Jesus finished saying these things, he told his disciples, "You know that Passover comes in two days. That's when the Son of Man will be betrayed and handed over for crucifixion."
3-5At that very moment, the party of high priests and religious leaders was meeting in the chambers of the Chief Priest named Caiaphas, conspiring to seize Jesus by stealth and kill him. They agreed that it should not be done during Passover Week. "We don't want a riot on our hands," they said.
6-9When Jesus was at Bethany, a guest of Simon the Leper, a woman came up to him as he was eating dinner and anointed him with a bottle of very expensive perfume. When the disciples saw what was happening, they were furious. "That's criminal! This could have been sold for a lot and the money handed out to the poor."
10-13When Jesus realized what was going on, he intervened. "Why are you giving this woman a hard time? She has just done something wonderfully significant for me. You will have the poor with you every day for the rest of your lives, but not me. When she poured this perfume on my body, what she really did was anoint me for burial. You can be sure that wherever in the whole world the Message is preached, what she has just done is going to be remembered and admired."
14-16That is when one of the Twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the cabal of high priests and said, "What will you give me if I hand him over to you?" They settled on thirty silver pieces. He began looking for just the right moment to hand him over.
The Traitor
17On the first of the Days of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Where do you want us to prepare your Passover meal?"
18-19He said, "Enter the city. Go up to a certain man and say, 'The Teacher says, My time is near. I and my disciples plan to celebrate the Passover meal at your house.'" The disciples followed Jesus' instructions to the letter, and prepared the Passover meal.
20-21After sunset, he and the Twelve were sitting around the table. During the meal, he said, "I have something hard but important to say to you: One of you is going to hand me over to the conspirators."
22They were stunned, and then began to ask, one after another, "It isn't me, is it, Master?"
23-24Jesus answered, "The one who hands me over is someone I eat with daily, one who passes me food at the table. In one sense the Son of Man is entering into a way of treachery well-marked by the Scriptures—no surprises here. In another sense that man who turns him in, turns traitor to the Son of Man—better never to have been born than do this!"
25Then Judas, already turned traitor, said, "It isn't me, is it, Rabbi?"
Jesus said, "Don't play games with me, Judas."
The Bread and the Cup
26-29During the meal, Jesus took and blessed the bread, broke it, and gave it to his disciples:
Take, eat.
This is my body.
Taking the cup and thanking God, he gave it to them:
Drink this, all of you.
This is my blood,
God's new covenant poured out for many people
for the forgiveness of sins.
"I'll not be drinking wine from this cup again until that new day when I'll drink with you in the kingdom of my Father."
30They sang a hymn and went directly to Mount Olives.
Gethsemane
31-32Then Jesus told them, "Before the night's over, you're going to fall to pieces because of what happens to me. There is a Scripture that says,
I'll strike the shepherd;
helter-skelter the sheep will be scattered.
But after I am raised up, I, your Shepherd, will go ahead of you, leading the way to Galilee."
33Peter broke in, "Even if everyone else falls to pieces on account of you, I won't."
34"Don't be so sure," Jesus said. "This very night, before the rooster crows up the dawn, you will deny me three times."
35Peter protested, "Even if I had to die with you, I would never deny you." All the others said the same thing.
36-38Then Jesus went with them to a garden called Gethsemane and told his disciples, "Stay here while I go over there and pray." Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he plunged into an agonizing sorrow. Then he said, "This sorrow is crushing my life out. Stay here and keep vigil with me."
39Going a little ahead, he fell on his face, praying, "My Father, if there is any way, get me out of this. But please, not what I want. You, what do you want?"
40-41When he came back to his disciples, he found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, "Can't you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert; be in prayer so you don't wander into temptation without even knowing you're in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there's another part that's as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire."
42He then left them a second time. Again he prayed, "My Father, if there is no other way than this, drinking this cup to the dregs, I'm ready. Do it your way."
43-44When he came back, he again found them sound asleep. They simply couldn't keep their eyes open. This time he let them sleep on, and went back a third time to pray, going over the same ground one last time.
45-46When he came back the next time, he said, "Are you going to sleep on and make a night of it? My time is up, the Son of Man is about to be handed over to the hands of sinners. Get up! Let's get going! My betrayer is here."
With Swords and Clubs
47-49The words were barely out of his mouth when Judas (the one from the Twelve) showed up, and with him a gang from the high priests and religious leaders brandishing swords and clubs. The betrayer had worked out a sign with them: "The one I kiss, that's the one—seize him." He went straight to Jesus, greeted him, "How are you, Rabbi?" and kissed him.
50-51Jesus said, "Friend, why this charade?"
Then they came on him—grabbed him and roughed him up. One of those with Jesus pulled his sword and, taking a swing at the Chief Priest's servant, cut off his ear.
52-54Jesus said, "Put your sword back where it belongs. All who use swords are destroyed by swords. Don't you realize that I am able right now to call to my Father, and twelve companies—more, if I want them—of fighting angels would be here, battle-ready? But if I did that, how would the Scriptures come true that say this is the way it has to be?"
55-56Then Jesus addressed the mob: "What is this—coming out after me with swords and clubs as if I were a dangerous criminal? Day after day I have been sitting in the Temple teaching, and you never so much as lifted a hand against me. You've done it this way to confirm and fulfill the prophetic writings."
Then all the disciples cut and ran.
False Charges
57-58The gang that had seized Jesus led him before Caiaphas the Chief Priest, where the religion scholars and leaders had assembled. Peter followed at a safe distance until they got to the Chief Priest's courtyard. Then he slipped in and mingled with the servants, watching to see how things would turn out.
59-60The high priests, conspiring with the Jewish Council, tried to cook up charges against Jesus in order to sentence him to death. But even though many stepped up, making up one false accusation after another, nothing was believable.
60-61Finally two men came forward with this: "He said, 'I can tear down this Temple of God and after three days rebuild it.'"
62The Chief Priest stood up and said, "What do you have to say to the accusation?"
63Jesus kept silent.
Then the Chief Priest said, "I command you by the authority of the living God to say if you are the Messiah, the Son of God."
64Jesus was curt: "You yourself said it. And that's not all. Soon you'll see it for yourself:
The Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Mighty One,
Arriving on the clouds of heaven."
65-66At that, the Chief Priest lost his temper, ripping his robes, yelling, "He blasphemed! Why do we need witnesses to accuse him? You all heard him blaspheme! Are you going to stand for such blasphemy?"
They all said, "Death! That seals his death sentence."
67-68Then they were spitting in his face and banging him around. They jeered as they slapped him: "Prophesy, Messiah: Who hit you that time?"
Denial in the Courtyard
69All this time, Peter was sitting out in the courtyard. One servant girl came up to him and said, "You were with Jesus the Galilean."
70In front of everybody there, he denied it. "I don't know what you're talking about."
71As he moved over toward the gate, someone else said to the people there, "This man was with Jesus the Nazarene."
72Again he denied it, salting his denial with an oath: "I swear, I never laid eyes on the man."
73Shortly after that, some bystanders approached Peter. "You've got to be one of them. Your accent gives you away."
74-75Then he got really nervous and swore. "I don't know the man!"
Just then a rooster crowed. Peter remembered what Jesus had said: "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." He went out and cried and cried and cried.
Matthew 27
Thirty Silver Coins
1-2 In the first light of dawn, all the high priests and religious leaders met and put the finishing touches on their plot to kill Jesus. Then they tied him up and paraded him to Pilate, the governor.
3-4Judas, the one who betrayed him, realized that Jesus was doomed. Overcome with remorse, he gave back the thirty silver coins to the high priests, saying, "I've sinned. I've betrayed an innocent man."
They said, "What do we care? That's your problem!"
5Judas threw the silver coins into the Temple and left. Then he went out and hung himself.
6-10The high priests picked up the silver pieces, but then didn't know what to do with them. "It wouldn't be right to give this—a payment for murder!—as an offering in the Temple." They decided to get rid of it by buying the "Potter's Field" and use it as a burial place for the homeless. That's how the field got called "Murder Meadow," a name that has stuck to this day. Then Jeremiah's words became history:
They took the thirty silver pieces,
The price of the one priced by some sons of Israel,
And they purchased the potter's field.
And so they unwittingly followed the divine instructions to the letter.
Pilate
11Jesus was placed before the governor, who questioned him: "Are you the 'King of the Jews'?"
Jesus said, "If you say so."
12-14But when the accusations rained down hot and heavy from the high priests and religious leaders, he said nothing. Pilate asked him, "Do you hear that long list of accusations? Aren't you going to say something?" Jesus kept silence—not a word from his mouth. The governor was impressed, really impressed.
15-18It was an old custom during the Feast for the governor to pardon a single prisoner named by the crowd. At the time, they had the infamous Jesus Barabbas in prison. With the crowd before him, Pilate said, "Which prisoner do you want me to pardon: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus the so-called Christ?" He knew it was through sheer spite that they had turned Jesus over to him.
19While court was still in session, Pilate's wife sent him a message: "Don't get mixed up in judging this noble man. I've just been through a long and troubled night because of a dream about him."
20Meanwhile, the high priests and religious leaders had talked the crowd into asking for the pardon of Barabbas and the execution of Jesus.
21The governor asked, "Which of the two do you want me to pardon?"
They said, "Barabbas!"
22"Then what do I do with Jesus, the so-called Christ?"
They all shouted, "Nail him to a cross!"
23He objected, "But for what crime?"
But they yelled all the louder, "Nail him to a cross!"
24When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere and that a riot was imminent, he took a basin of water and washed his hands in full sight of the crowd, saying, "I'm washing my hands of responsibility for this man's death. From now on, it's in your hands. You're judge and jury."
25The crowd answered, "We'll take the blame, we and our children after us."
26Then he pardoned Barabbas. But he had Jesus whipped, and then handed over for crucifixion.
The Crucifixion
27-31The soldiers assigned to the governor took Jesus into the governor's palace and got the entire brigade together for some fun. They stripped him and dressed him in a red toga. They plaited a crown from branches of a thornbush and set it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand for a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mocking reverence: "Bravo, King of the Jews!" they said. "Bravo!" Then they spit on him and hit him on the head with the stick. When they had had their fun, they took off the toga and put his own clothes back on him. Then they proceeded out to the crucifixion.
32-34Along the way they came on a man from Cyrene named Simon and made him carry Jesus' cross. Arriving at Golgotha, the place they call "Skull Hill," they offered him a mild painkiller (a mixture of wine and myrrh), but when he tasted it he wouldn't drink it.
35-40After they had finished nailing him to the cross and were waiting for him to die, they whiled away the time by throwing dice for his clothes. Above his head they had posted the criminal charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews. Along with him, they also crucified two criminals, one to his right, the other to his left. People passing along the road jeered, shaking their heads in mock lament: "You bragged that you could tear down the Temple and then rebuild it in three days—so show us your stuff! Save yourself! If you're really God's Son, come down from that cross!"
41-44The high priests, along with the religion scholars and leaders, were right there mixing it up with the rest of them, having a great time poking fun at him: "He saved others—he can't save himself! King of Israel, is he? Then let him get down from that cross. We'll all become believers then! He was so sure of God—well, let him rescue his 'Son' now—if he wants him! He did claim to be God's Son, didn't he?" Even the two criminals crucified next to him joined in the mockery.
45-46From noon to three, the whole earth was dark. Around mid-afternoon Jesus groaned out of the depths, crying loudly, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?"
47-49Some bystanders who heard him said, "He's calling for Elijah." One of them ran and got a sponge soaked in sour wine and lifted it on a stick so he could drink. The others joked, "Don't be in such a hurry. Let's see if Elijah comes and saves him."
50But Jesus, again crying out loudly, breathed his last.
51-53At that moment, the Temple curtain was ripped in two, top to bottom. There was an earthquake, and rocks were split in pieces. What's more, tombs were opened up, and many bodies of believers asleep in their graves were raised. (After Jesus' resurrection, they left the tombs, entered the holy city, and appeared to many.)
54The captain of the guard and those with him, when they saw the earthquake and everything else that was happening, were scared to death. They said, "This has to be the Son of God!"
55-56There were also quite a few women watching from a distance, women who had followed Jesus from Galilee in order to serve him. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the Zebedee brothers.
Anointed for Burial
1-2 When Jesus finished saying these things, he told his disciples, "You know that Passover comes in two days. That's when the Son of Man will be betrayed and handed over for crucifixion."
3-5At that very moment, the party of high priests and religious leaders was meeting in the chambers of the Chief Priest named Caiaphas, conspiring to seize Jesus by stealth and kill him. They agreed that it should not be done during Passover Week. "We don't want a riot on our hands," they said.
6-9When Jesus was at Bethany, a guest of Simon the Leper, a woman came up to him as he was eating dinner and anointed him with a bottle of very expensive perfume. When the disciples saw what was happening, they were furious. "That's criminal! This could have been sold for a lot and the money handed out to the poor."
10-13When Jesus realized what was going on, he intervened. "Why are you giving this woman a hard time? She has just done something wonderfully significant for me. You will have the poor with you every day for the rest of your lives, but not me. When she poured this perfume on my body, what she really did was anoint me for burial. You can be sure that wherever in the whole world the Message is preached, what she has just done is going to be remembered and admired."
14-16That is when one of the Twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the cabal of high priests and said, "What will you give me if I hand him over to you?" They settled on thirty silver pieces. He began looking for just the right moment to hand him over.
The Traitor
17On the first of the Days of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Where do you want us to prepare your Passover meal?"
18-19He said, "Enter the city. Go up to a certain man and say, 'The Teacher says, My time is near. I and my disciples plan to celebrate the Passover meal at your house.'" The disciples followed Jesus' instructions to the letter, and prepared the Passover meal.
20-21After sunset, he and the Twelve were sitting around the table. During the meal, he said, "I have something hard but important to say to you: One of you is going to hand me over to the conspirators."
22They were stunned, and then began to ask, one after another, "It isn't me, is it, Master?"
23-24Jesus answered, "The one who hands me over is someone I eat with daily, one who passes me food at the table. In one sense the Son of Man is entering into a way of treachery well-marked by the Scriptures—no surprises here. In another sense that man who turns him in, turns traitor to the Son of Man—better never to have been born than do this!"
25Then Judas, already turned traitor, said, "It isn't me, is it, Rabbi?"
Jesus said, "Don't play games with me, Judas."
The Bread and the Cup
26-29During the meal, Jesus took and blessed the bread, broke it, and gave it to his disciples:
Take, eat.
This is my body.
Taking the cup and thanking God, he gave it to them:
Drink this, all of you.
This is my blood,
God's new covenant poured out for many people
for the forgiveness of sins.
"I'll not be drinking wine from this cup again until that new day when I'll drink with you in the kingdom of my Father."
30They sang a hymn and went directly to Mount Olives.
Gethsemane
31-32Then Jesus told them, "Before the night's over, you're going to fall to pieces because of what happens to me. There is a Scripture that says,
I'll strike the shepherd;
helter-skelter the sheep will be scattered.
But after I am raised up, I, your Shepherd, will go ahead of you, leading the way to Galilee."
33Peter broke in, "Even if everyone else falls to pieces on account of you, I won't."
34"Don't be so sure," Jesus said. "This very night, before the rooster crows up the dawn, you will deny me three times."
35Peter protested, "Even if I had to die with you, I would never deny you." All the others said the same thing.
36-38Then Jesus went with them to a garden called Gethsemane and told his disciples, "Stay here while I go over there and pray." Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he plunged into an agonizing sorrow. Then he said, "This sorrow is crushing my life out. Stay here and keep vigil with me."
39Going a little ahead, he fell on his face, praying, "My Father, if there is any way, get me out of this. But please, not what I want. You, what do you want?"
40-41When he came back to his disciples, he found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, "Can't you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert; be in prayer so you don't wander into temptation without even knowing you're in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there's another part that's as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire."
42He then left them a second time. Again he prayed, "My Father, if there is no other way than this, drinking this cup to the dregs, I'm ready. Do it your way."
43-44When he came back, he again found them sound asleep. They simply couldn't keep their eyes open. This time he let them sleep on, and went back a third time to pray, going over the same ground one last time.
45-46When he came back the next time, he said, "Are you going to sleep on and make a night of it? My time is up, the Son of Man is about to be handed over to the hands of sinners. Get up! Let's get going! My betrayer is here."
With Swords and Clubs
47-49The words were barely out of his mouth when Judas (the one from the Twelve) showed up, and with him a gang from the high priests and religious leaders brandishing swords and clubs. The betrayer had worked out a sign with them: "The one I kiss, that's the one—seize him." He went straight to Jesus, greeted him, "How are you, Rabbi?" and kissed him.
50-51Jesus said, "Friend, why this charade?"
Then they came on him—grabbed him and roughed him up. One of those with Jesus pulled his sword and, taking a swing at the Chief Priest's servant, cut off his ear.
52-54Jesus said, "Put your sword back where it belongs. All who use swords are destroyed by swords. Don't you realize that I am able right now to call to my Father, and twelve companies—more, if I want them—of fighting angels would be here, battle-ready? But if I did that, how would the Scriptures come true that say this is the way it has to be?"
55-56Then Jesus addressed the mob: "What is this—coming out after me with swords and clubs as if I were a dangerous criminal? Day after day I have been sitting in the Temple teaching, and you never so much as lifted a hand against me. You've done it this way to confirm and fulfill the prophetic writings."
Then all the disciples cut and ran.
False Charges
57-58The gang that had seized Jesus led him before Caiaphas the Chief Priest, where the religion scholars and leaders had assembled. Peter followed at a safe distance until they got to the Chief Priest's courtyard. Then he slipped in and mingled with the servants, watching to see how things would turn out.
59-60The high priests, conspiring with the Jewish Council, tried to cook up charges against Jesus in order to sentence him to death. But even though many stepped up, making up one false accusation after another, nothing was believable.
60-61Finally two men came forward with this: "He said, 'I can tear down this Temple of God and after three days rebuild it.'"
62The Chief Priest stood up and said, "What do you have to say to the accusation?"
63Jesus kept silent.
Then the Chief Priest said, "I command you by the authority of the living God to say if you are the Messiah, the Son of God."
64Jesus was curt: "You yourself said it. And that's not all. Soon you'll see it for yourself:
The Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Mighty One,
Arriving on the clouds of heaven."
65-66At that, the Chief Priest lost his temper, ripping his robes, yelling, "He blasphemed! Why do we need witnesses to accuse him? You all heard him blaspheme! Are you going to stand for such blasphemy?"
They all said, "Death! That seals his death sentence."
67-68Then they were spitting in his face and banging him around. They jeered as they slapped him: "Prophesy, Messiah: Who hit you that time?"
Denial in the Courtyard
69All this time, Peter was sitting out in the courtyard. One servant girl came up to him and said, "You were with Jesus the Galilean."
70In front of everybody there, he denied it. "I don't know what you're talking about."
71As he moved over toward the gate, someone else said to the people there, "This man was with Jesus the Nazarene."
72Again he denied it, salting his denial with an oath: "I swear, I never laid eyes on the man."
73Shortly after that, some bystanders approached Peter. "You've got to be one of them. Your accent gives you away."
74-75Then he got really nervous and swore. "I don't know the man!"
Just then a rooster crowed. Peter remembered what Jesus had said: "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." He went out and cried and cried and cried.
Matthew 27
Thirty Silver Coins
1-2 In the first light of dawn, all the high priests and religious leaders met and put the finishing touches on their plot to kill Jesus. Then they tied him up and paraded him to Pilate, the governor.
3-4Judas, the one who betrayed him, realized that Jesus was doomed. Overcome with remorse, he gave back the thirty silver coins to the high priests, saying, "I've sinned. I've betrayed an innocent man."
They said, "What do we care? That's your problem!"
5Judas threw the silver coins into the Temple and left. Then he went out and hung himself.
6-10The high priests picked up the silver pieces, but then didn't know what to do with them. "It wouldn't be right to give this—a payment for murder!—as an offering in the Temple." They decided to get rid of it by buying the "Potter's Field" and use it as a burial place for the homeless. That's how the field got called "Murder Meadow," a name that has stuck to this day. Then Jeremiah's words became history:
They took the thirty silver pieces,
The price of the one priced by some sons of Israel,
And they purchased the potter's field.
And so they unwittingly followed the divine instructions to the letter.
Pilate
11Jesus was placed before the governor, who questioned him: "Are you the 'King of the Jews'?"
Jesus said, "If you say so."
12-14But when the accusations rained down hot and heavy from the high priests and religious leaders, he said nothing. Pilate asked him, "Do you hear that long list of accusations? Aren't you going to say something?" Jesus kept silence—not a word from his mouth. The governor was impressed, really impressed.
15-18It was an old custom during the Feast for the governor to pardon a single prisoner named by the crowd. At the time, they had the infamous Jesus Barabbas in prison. With the crowd before him, Pilate said, "Which prisoner do you want me to pardon: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus the so-called Christ?" He knew it was through sheer spite that they had turned Jesus over to him.
19While court was still in session, Pilate's wife sent him a message: "Don't get mixed up in judging this noble man. I've just been through a long and troubled night because of a dream about him."
20Meanwhile, the high priests and religious leaders had talked the crowd into asking for the pardon of Barabbas and the execution of Jesus.
21The governor asked, "Which of the two do you want me to pardon?"
They said, "Barabbas!"
22"Then what do I do with Jesus, the so-called Christ?"
They all shouted, "Nail him to a cross!"
23He objected, "But for what crime?"
But they yelled all the louder, "Nail him to a cross!"
24When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere and that a riot was imminent, he took a basin of water and washed his hands in full sight of the crowd, saying, "I'm washing my hands of responsibility for this man's death. From now on, it's in your hands. You're judge and jury."
25The crowd answered, "We'll take the blame, we and our children after us."
26Then he pardoned Barabbas. But he had Jesus whipped, and then handed over for crucifixion.
The Crucifixion
27-31The soldiers assigned to the governor took Jesus into the governor's palace and got the entire brigade together for some fun. They stripped him and dressed him in a red toga. They plaited a crown from branches of a thornbush and set it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand for a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mocking reverence: "Bravo, King of the Jews!" they said. "Bravo!" Then they spit on him and hit him on the head with the stick. When they had had their fun, they took off the toga and put his own clothes back on him. Then they proceeded out to the crucifixion.
32-34Along the way they came on a man from Cyrene named Simon and made him carry Jesus' cross. Arriving at Golgotha, the place they call "Skull Hill," they offered him a mild painkiller (a mixture of wine and myrrh), but when he tasted it he wouldn't drink it.
35-40After they had finished nailing him to the cross and were waiting for him to die, they whiled away the time by throwing dice for his clothes. Above his head they had posted the criminal charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews. Along with him, they also crucified two criminals, one to his right, the other to his left. People passing along the road jeered, shaking their heads in mock lament: "You bragged that you could tear down the Temple and then rebuild it in three days—so show us your stuff! Save yourself! If you're really God's Son, come down from that cross!"
41-44The high priests, along with the religion scholars and leaders, were right there mixing it up with the rest of them, having a great time poking fun at him: "He saved others—he can't save himself! King of Israel, is he? Then let him get down from that cross. We'll all become believers then! He was so sure of God—well, let him rescue his 'Son' now—if he wants him! He did claim to be God's Son, didn't he?" Even the two criminals crucified next to him joined in the mockery.
45-46From noon to three, the whole earth was dark. Around mid-afternoon Jesus groaned out of the depths, crying loudly, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?"
47-49Some bystanders who heard him said, "He's calling for Elijah." One of them ran and got a sponge soaked in sour wine and lifted it on a stick so he could drink. The others joked, "Don't be in such a hurry. Let's see if Elijah comes and saves him."
50But Jesus, again crying out loudly, breathed his last.
51-53At that moment, the Temple curtain was ripped in two, top to bottom. There was an earthquake, and rocks were split in pieces. What's more, tombs were opened up, and many bodies of believers asleep in their graves were raised. (After Jesus' resurrection, they left the tombs, entered the holy city, and appeared to many.)
54The captain of the guard and those with him, when they saw the earthquake and everything else that was happening, were scared to death. They said, "This has to be the Son of God!"
55-56There were also quite a few women watching from a distance, women who had followed Jesus from Galilee in order to serve him. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the Zebedee brothers.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Hannah's Faithfulness
I have been reading 1 Samuel lately, and I am in awe of the strength and faithfulness of Hannah, Samuel’s mother. For those who are not familiar with the story, Hannah was one of two wives of a man named Elkanah. The other was Peninnah. Penninah had bore Elkanah many children, while Hannah was barren. Hannah was the wife that Elkanah truly loved however, and so Peninnah, being jealous, never missed out on a chance to rub it in Hannah’s face that she had children and Hannah did not. 
Hannah could have easily chosen to act in anger toward Peninnah. Instead, she ignored her and turned her attentions toward God. She prayed that God would give her a son, and she made this vow:
“O Lord of heaven, if you will look down upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you, and he’ll be yours for his entire lifetime, and his hair shall never be cut.” (1 Samuel 1: 11)
And the Lord blessed Hannah with a baby boy, whom she named Samuel. But here is the truly amazing part: Hannah didn’t forget her promise to God. As soon as Samuel was weaned, Hannah and Elkanah took him to the Tabernacle and left him there with Eli, the priest, so that he could grow up a servant of God. Samuel then grows up to be a great religious leader and prophet.
What amazes me about this story is Hannah’s strength. Many of us have made promises to God and failed to follow through. Hannah could have easily done the same, but she did not. I cannot imagine how painful it must have been for her to give up her small child and hand him over to the church. I imagine that in those times, children were weaned much later, so I’m guessing he was probably about 3 or 4 when she took him to the church. It must have also been devastating for the boy. What a sacrifice! Yet Hannah remained strong. She knew she had made a promise to God and would not go back on it. God rewarded Hannah greatly for her faithfulness. After giving up Samuel, God then blessed Hannah with 3 more sons and 2 daughters.
This story is a great example of how if we trust God and are faithful to Him, He will not forget us or let us down. I think about the promises I have made to God. I made promises when I was confirmed in the church, and also when I was married. So often it is easy to forget about our promises or make excuses as to why we cannot keep them. If we trust God however, we should know that He will reward our faithfulness with blessings. He will ease our pain when we are hurting, and he will never, ever forget us.
Let us pray.
God, thank you so much for your constant care and attention. We know that every good thing in our lives comes from You. We ask You to help us be faithful to You, Lord. Help us keep whatever promises we make to You, and allow us to trust that You will never forsake us. Father, we love You. In Your Holy Name we pray. Amen.
Hannah could have easily chosen to act in anger toward Peninnah. Instead, she ignored her and turned her attentions toward God. She prayed that God would give her a son, and she made this vow:
“O Lord of heaven, if you will look down upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you, and he’ll be yours for his entire lifetime, and his hair shall never be cut.” (1 Samuel 1: 11)
And the Lord blessed Hannah with a baby boy, whom she named Samuel. But here is the truly amazing part: Hannah didn’t forget her promise to God. As soon as Samuel was weaned, Hannah and Elkanah took him to the Tabernacle and left him there with Eli, the priest, so that he could grow up a servant of God. Samuel then grows up to be a great religious leader and prophet.
What amazes me about this story is Hannah’s strength. Many of us have made promises to God and failed to follow through. Hannah could have easily done the same, but she did not. I cannot imagine how painful it must have been for her to give up her small child and hand him over to the church. I imagine that in those times, children were weaned much later, so I’m guessing he was probably about 3 or 4 when she took him to the church. It must have also been devastating for the boy. What a sacrifice! Yet Hannah remained strong. She knew she had made a promise to God and would not go back on it. God rewarded Hannah greatly for her faithfulness. After giving up Samuel, God then blessed Hannah with 3 more sons and 2 daughters.
This story is a great example of how if we trust God and are faithful to Him, He will not forget us or let us down. I think about the promises I have made to God. I made promises when I was confirmed in the church, and also when I was married. So often it is easy to forget about our promises or make excuses as to why we cannot keep them. If we trust God however, we should know that He will reward our faithfulness with blessings. He will ease our pain when we are hurting, and he will never, ever forget us.
Let us pray.
God, thank you so much for your constant care and attention. We know that every good thing in our lives comes from You. We ask You to help us be faithful to You, Lord. Help us keep whatever promises we make to You, and allow us to trust that You will never forsake us. Father, we love You. In Your Holy Name we pray. Amen.
Monday, March 19, 2012
How Loyal Are You?
When reading about Jesus’ last days on Earth, one of the themes that emerges for me is that of loyalty. Jesus, who had 12 devoted disciples, was left betrayed and abandoned that fateful night when He was arrested and brought to trial.
The obvious disloyalty came from Judas Iscariot, who led a mob sent out by the chief priests directly to Jesus.
“…Judas had told them, ‘You will know which one to arrest when I go over and greet him. Then you can take him easily.’ So as soon as they arrived he walked up to Jesus. ‘Master!’ he exclaimed, and embraced him with a great show of friendliness. Then the mob arrested Jesus and held him fast…Meanwhile, all his disciples had fled.” (Mark 14:44-46, 50)
Judas betrayed Jesus with cunning precision. He planned the whole thing out, right up to the embrace.
The other disciples however, didn’t exactly have Jesus’ back. “Meanwhile, all his disciples had fled.” When the going got tough, the disciples got going! That is perhaps the more disturbing betrayal. Judas was supposed to be the bad guy—it was in the script. However, why were the other disciples, who had earlier that evening been arguing over whom Jesus loved the most, unwilling to stand by their teacher, friend, Lord during a difficult time?
It actually began earlier in the evening, when Jesus was distraught over the events to come.
“He took Peter, James and John with him and began to be filled with horror and deepest distress. And he said to them, ‘My soul is crushed by sorrow to the point of death; stay here and watch with me.’ He went on a little further and fell to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the awful hour awaiting him might never come. Then he returned to the three disciples and found them asleep. ‘Simon!’ he said. ‘Asleep? Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? Watch with me and pray lest the Tempter overpower you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak.’ And he went away again and prayed, repeating his pleadings. Again he returned to them and found them sleeping, for they were very tired. And they didn’t know what to say. The third time when he returned to them he said, ‘Sleep on; get your rest! But no! The time for sleep has ended! Look! I am betrayed into the hands of wicked men. Come! Get up! We must go! Look! My betrayer his here!’” (Mark 14:33-42)
The disciples didn’t let Jesus down once, but three times! All they had to do was stay awake in case He needed them for comfort. But they failed Him. Jesus told them, “my soul is crushed by sorrow.” Can you imagine a friend telling you that their soul is crushed by sorrow? That’s pretty intense. And yet the disciples still couldn’t manage to stay awake to comfort Jesus. Furthermore, when the mob came to get Him, they dispersed.
Peter hid in the shadows and followed the mob back to town from a distance. However, even he showed disloyalty to his King by denying that he was with Jesus, when asked by one of the High Priests’ maids.
“Meanwhile Peter was below in the courtyard. One of the maids who worked for the High Priest nocied Peter warming himself at the fire. She looked at him closely and then announced, ‘You were with Jesus, the Nazarene.’ Peter denied it. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about!’ he said, and walked over to the edge of the courtyard. Just then a rooster crowed. The maid saw him standing there and began telling the others, ‘There he is! There’s the disciple of Jesus!’ Peter denied it again. A little later others standing around the fire began saying to Peter, ‘You are, too, one of them, for you are from Galilee!’ He began to curse and swear. ‘I don’t even know this fellow you are talking about,’ he said. And immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Suddenly Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: ‘Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.’ And he began to cry.” (Mark 14:66-72)
I get the sense from the scripture that Peter surprised himself by betraying Jesus that way. However, Jesus wasn’t surprised. “‘All of you will desert me,‘ Jesus told them, ‘for God has declared through the prophets, “I will kill the Shepherd, and the sheep will scatter.” But after I am raised to life again, I will go to Galilee and meet you there.’”
(Mark 14:27-28)
I would like to think that if Jesus Christ asked me to stay awake for a couple of hours to be there for Him in case He needed me that I would. I would also like to think that if someone asked me if I knew Him or was with Him, I would not lie. But I know in my heart, that I am just as guilty of abandoning Him on a daily basis as His disciples were the night of His arrest.
How often do I deny Him by not speaking up when non-believing acquaintances poke fun at Christianity, either because I don’t want to offend anybody or because I don’t want to be ridiculed and singled out? How often do I abandon Him simply by not communing with Him in prayer as often as I should? I can go weeks on end devoting time each day to prayer and scripture, and then one busier than usual week pops up and what goes to the bottom of my to do list? Praying and reading scripture.
I know Peter’s pain to some extent. I have that awful feeling of not being loyal to my Lord and Savior. I have abandoned Him. And maybe He doesn’t need me the way I need Him, but He wants my love and devotion. And yet I withhold those from Him regularly, and offer them only when it’s convenient for me.
How would you handle a friend like that? If you had a friend who only came around when they needed something or when it was convenient, but was never there when you truly wanted or needed them to be, what would you do? Most of us would sever the relationship. What good is a friend like that?
Yet, Jesus doesn’t cut us off. He patiently waits for us to return to Him. He would rather have our hearts some of the time than none of the time. Can you imagine feeling that kind of love for a fair-weathered friend? I can’t. And knowing that Jesus can love me despite my on-again/off-again loyalty makes me realize the magnitude of His love for me, just as He loved the disciples despite their abandonment. He appeared to them as soon as He rose from the dead. The human in me would have said, “Forget about those guys! They abandoned me, to hell with them!”
But Jesus didn’t write them off. He loved them anyway. He appeared to them anyway. And they went on to be fierce proponents of His teachings, most of them being martyred in His name.
The legacy of Jesus’ love is still felt two millennia later. We crave His love, His peace, His wisdom. And just like the disciples, we abandon Him from time to time. But also like the disciples, we always come back.
Do you abandon Jesus from time to time? If so, how?
The obvious disloyalty came from Judas Iscariot, who led a mob sent out by the chief priests directly to Jesus.
“…Judas had told them, ‘You will know which one to arrest when I go over and greet him. Then you can take him easily.’ So as soon as they arrived he walked up to Jesus. ‘Master!’ he exclaimed, and embraced him with a great show of friendliness. Then the mob arrested Jesus and held him fast…Meanwhile, all his disciples had fled.” (Mark 14:44-46, 50)
Judas betrayed Jesus with cunning precision. He planned the whole thing out, right up to the embrace.
The other disciples however, didn’t exactly have Jesus’ back. “Meanwhile, all his disciples had fled.” When the going got tough, the disciples got going! That is perhaps the more disturbing betrayal. Judas was supposed to be the bad guy—it was in the script. However, why were the other disciples, who had earlier that evening been arguing over whom Jesus loved the most, unwilling to stand by their teacher, friend, Lord during a difficult time?
It actually began earlier in the evening, when Jesus was distraught over the events to come.
“He took Peter, James and John with him and began to be filled with horror and deepest distress. And he said to them, ‘My soul is crushed by sorrow to the point of death; stay here and watch with me.’ He went on a little further and fell to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the awful hour awaiting him might never come. Then he returned to the three disciples and found them asleep. ‘Simon!’ he said. ‘Asleep? Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? Watch with me and pray lest the Tempter overpower you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak.’ And he went away again and prayed, repeating his pleadings. Again he returned to them and found them sleeping, for they were very tired. And they didn’t know what to say. The third time when he returned to them he said, ‘Sleep on; get your rest! But no! The time for sleep has ended! Look! I am betrayed into the hands of wicked men. Come! Get up! We must go! Look! My betrayer his here!’” (Mark 14:33-42)
The disciples didn’t let Jesus down once, but three times! All they had to do was stay awake in case He needed them for comfort. But they failed Him. Jesus told them, “my soul is crushed by sorrow.” Can you imagine a friend telling you that their soul is crushed by sorrow? That’s pretty intense. And yet the disciples still couldn’t manage to stay awake to comfort Jesus. Furthermore, when the mob came to get Him, they dispersed.
Peter hid in the shadows and followed the mob back to town from a distance. However, even he showed disloyalty to his King by denying that he was with Jesus, when asked by one of the High Priests’ maids.
“Meanwhile Peter was below in the courtyard. One of the maids who worked for the High Priest nocied Peter warming himself at the fire. She looked at him closely and then announced, ‘You were with Jesus, the Nazarene.’ Peter denied it. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about!’ he said, and walked over to the edge of the courtyard. Just then a rooster crowed. The maid saw him standing there and began telling the others, ‘There he is! There’s the disciple of Jesus!’ Peter denied it again. A little later others standing around the fire began saying to Peter, ‘You are, too, one of them, for you are from Galilee!’ He began to curse and swear. ‘I don’t even know this fellow you are talking about,’ he said. And immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Suddenly Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: ‘Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.’ And he began to cry.” (Mark 14:66-72)
I get the sense from the scripture that Peter surprised himself by betraying Jesus that way. However, Jesus wasn’t surprised. “‘All of you will desert me,‘ Jesus told them, ‘for God has declared through the prophets, “I will kill the Shepherd, and the sheep will scatter.” But after I am raised to life again, I will go to Galilee and meet you there.’”
(Mark 14:27-28)
I would like to think that if Jesus Christ asked me to stay awake for a couple of hours to be there for Him in case He needed me that I would. I would also like to think that if someone asked me if I knew Him or was with Him, I would not lie. But I know in my heart, that I am just as guilty of abandoning Him on a daily basis as His disciples were the night of His arrest.
How often do I deny Him by not speaking up when non-believing acquaintances poke fun at Christianity, either because I don’t want to offend anybody or because I don’t want to be ridiculed and singled out? How often do I abandon Him simply by not communing with Him in prayer as often as I should? I can go weeks on end devoting time each day to prayer and scripture, and then one busier than usual week pops up and what goes to the bottom of my to do list? Praying and reading scripture.
I know Peter’s pain to some extent. I have that awful feeling of not being loyal to my Lord and Savior. I have abandoned Him. And maybe He doesn’t need me the way I need Him, but He wants my love and devotion. And yet I withhold those from Him regularly, and offer them only when it’s convenient for me.
How would you handle a friend like that? If you had a friend who only came around when they needed something or when it was convenient, but was never there when you truly wanted or needed them to be, what would you do? Most of us would sever the relationship. What good is a friend like that?
Yet, Jesus doesn’t cut us off. He patiently waits for us to return to Him. He would rather have our hearts some of the time than none of the time. Can you imagine feeling that kind of love for a fair-weathered friend? I can’t. And knowing that Jesus can love me despite my on-again/off-again loyalty makes me realize the magnitude of His love for me, just as He loved the disciples despite their abandonment. He appeared to them as soon as He rose from the dead. The human in me would have said, “Forget about those guys! They abandoned me, to hell with them!”
But Jesus didn’t write them off. He loved them anyway. He appeared to them anyway. And they went on to be fierce proponents of His teachings, most of them being martyred in His name.
The legacy of Jesus’ love is still felt two millennia later. We crave His love, His peace, His wisdom. And just like the disciples, we abandon Him from time to time. But also like the disciples, we always come back.
Do you abandon Jesus from time to time? If so, how?
Friday, March 9, 2012
Happy Barbie Day!
Today is Barbie Day. Even though Barbie is not the best role model for little girls with her ridiculously unrealistic figure and feet in a constant high-heel-wearing formation, I can't help it--I love Barbie!
I used to play with Barbies all day long. I can remember getting backaches from sitting cross-legged on the floor of my bedroom all afternoon playing with Barbies. I still have some of my old Barbies (and Barbie townhouse!) in my basement, just waiting for my 15-month-old daughter to be old enough to play with them.
Here are a few fun links relating to our old friend, Barbie Roberts (yes, that's her last name!):
Barbie Makes Her Debut
Barbie's Wikipedia Entry (includes her biography and fun controversies!)
Collector Barbies
How to Transform Yourself into Barbie (very creepy and cool!)
1959 - First Barbie commercial ever aired on TV
Enjoy!
I used to play with Barbies all day long. I can remember getting backaches from sitting cross-legged on the floor of my bedroom all afternoon playing with Barbies. I still have some of my old Barbies (and Barbie townhouse!) in my basement, just waiting for my 15-month-old daughter to be old enough to play with them.
Here are a few fun links relating to our old friend, Barbie Roberts (yes, that's her last name!):
Barbie Makes Her Debut
Barbie's Wikipedia Entry (includes her biography and fun controversies!)
Collector Barbies
How to Transform Yourself into Barbie (very creepy and cool!)
1959 - First Barbie commercial ever aired on TV
Enjoy!
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