Word to the Wise
Tuesday, April 15, 2025 - Holy Week - Tues
[Isa 49:1-6 and John 13:21-33, 36-38]When [Judas] had left, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify at once. My children I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look for me, and as I told the Jews, 'Where I go you cannot come,' so now I say it to you." Simon Peter said to him, "Master, where are you going?" Jesus answered him, "Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow later." 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 d
Judas and Peter are featured in today's gospel passage. There are two different betrayals. Judas' form has a kind of crass quality to it. He sells Jesus to the Jewish authorities. In a way, his behavior is easy to understand, even if it is ugly. Peter's betrayal is another matter because it can come uncomfortably close to one that most of us experience at one time or another. We deny our faith out of fear of negative consequences or because of attraction to tempting options. Fear of negative consequences takes precedence here. When the mob comes to arrest Jesus, the disciples turn tail and run! Peter's encounter in the courtyard of the high priest, in which he betrays his faith, is the most dramatic example, but he is not alone. What would we have said, if challenged under those circumstances? Would we try to deny that we even know Jesus but try to do it "with our fingers crossed?"
The two betrayals portrayed in the Gospel According to John have a kind of personal and interactive quality to them. Tomorrow (Wednesday), the tawdry details of Judas' betrayal will be on display in the version reported in the Gospel According to Matthew. If we continue to read the "Songs of the Suffering Servant" from Isaiah, which form the first scriptures on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday of this sacred week, we will be challenged to realize who is the subject of our betrayal(s). In the end, in the Gospel According to John, Peter will be restored and reconciled [John 21:15-19]. So will we - countless times!! AMEN
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