Word to the Wise
Wednesday, April 4, 2012 - Holy Week - Wed
[Isa 50:4-9a and Matt 26:14-25]The Lord God has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear; and I have not rebelled, have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. [Isaiah]
There is an air of grim determination in the description of the "Suffering Servant" in Isaiah. This vivid description accompanies our journey through Holy Week. We have an "advantage" that the original participants (with the exception of Jesus) did not have. We have the perspective of history and we have all the texts of scripture and centuries of interpretation at our disposal. Ultimately, however, each of us must find our own "role" or "niche" in all these events and add our own experiences to the suffering of Jesus, who suffers in sollidarity with us.
Perhaps, at this point, we might go back to Palm Sunday and read the passage from Isaiah, then the one on Monday and Tuesday, then the one today to help build our perspective. The gospel passage today takes a break from St. John by giving us St. Matthew's version of the "betrayal announcement" by Jesus at the Last Supper. One cannot help but wonder how Jesus and Judas "connected" without the other disciples knowing about this. There is some mystery to it all beyond learning about the infamous 30 pieces of silver. Here, Matthew turns to Jeremiah for inspiration. But Isaiah provides the powerful "background music" or sound track for our journey. After re-listening to the four passages from Sunday to Wednesday, we will be ready for the incredibly powerful sound picture on Good Friday. AMEN