Word to the Wise
Tuesday, April 7, 2009 - Tuesday of Holy Week
[Isaiah 49:1-6 and John 13:21-33, 36-38]Peter said to him, "Master, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you." Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me? Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times."
Betrayal can take more than one form. We learn this from today's gospel scripture. Jesus has washed the feet of the disciples (including Judas!) and eats with them. Then he makes the statement about one of them betraying him! The statement seems to just hang in the air. Judas leaves without ceremony when Jesus tells him, "What you are going to do, do quickly!" Yes, Judas will go out and alert the authorities that now is their chance to capture Jesus, and leads them to the place. The process is sealed with a kiss! Oh yes! That is betrayal! But it doesn't stop there! Which is worse - the direct and outright betrayal by Judas, or the denial of Jesus by Peter after a vehement promise of fidelity? Are we too busy pointing the finger at Judas? Is it because we want to direct attention away from our own denials of Jesus when we are confronted by other people or temptations? Jesus' prediction of betrayal can be narrowly construed to Judas, but I think that deprives it of the full significance of what it came to mean. All the disciples ran away at the garden and Peter drives it home with his three-fold denial. If we are asked, "Are you not one of them?" What will we say? AMEN
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