April 21, 2011 Maundy Thursday Meditations

MAUNDY THURSDAY MEDITATIONS April 21, 2011

THE LAST STRAW Matthew 26: 1-16
Matthew tells us that Jesus had finished his teaching in the temple. He had come to Jerusalem to share his distinct message in the courts of the Temple. He had spent hours in conversation with people from all walks of life, students of religion, and professionals alike, sharing his good news his gospel his vision, version and conclusions about the kingdom of God and who it is for. When I hear the words You know placed together as the introduction to a statement, I always here them expecting an exciting proposal to accompany them. For instance: "You know, it's such a beautiful day we ought to go on a picnic." or "You know I don't have anything pressing to do tomorrow so why don't we go to Disneyland." So when I read the words "You know" in verse 2 of chapter 26 I think Matthew's Jesus is announcing a change in strategy or a change in course. "You Know" in two days the Passover is coming....now I would expect him to say here..."we ought to make preparations for the feast." But Matthew's Jesus doesn't say this. I picture him standing up in the Temple having taught his last lesson, shared his last story, recounted his last parable, straightening his tunic, brushing himself off and making his way out of the Temple as he announces: "You know the Passover will be here in two days, and the son of Man will be handed over to be crucified."
It is almost as if he offers this exit line as a suggestion the chief priests and the elders as Matthew writes that they gathered in the palace of the high priest and conspired to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him.
That evening Jesus has dinner in the house of Simon the Leper and is strangely ministered to there by a woman pouring costly ointment on his head as he sat at the dinner table. Imagining such a scene today, is next to impossible, we would think something very hinky was about to happen in that household and well at least a few of us would excuse ourselves before coffee and dessert. The disciples are outraged by the display, wondering just what has gotten into Jesus. What happened to all that talk about reaching out to the poor and caring for them? The symbolism of what is happening here has escaped them. But Jesus doesn't question this woman's spontaneous act of love and devotion. He has not choreographed it certainly, but he interprets it nevertheless to try and help his disciples grasp just what is happening here. These days in Jerusalem are not carbon copies of the days spent in Galilee, taking the ministry to the big city to launch the movement there. Jesus essentially tells the disciples to get over themselves to stop judging this woman's gesture and wasteful. There will always be plenty of opportunity to minister to the poor, because they are always with you, however you will not always have me. "She," he says, "has done me a service; she has anointed my body and has prepared me for burial." Now if that is the kind of statement that draws the party to a close in a hurry. The disciples are really nervous because Jesus keeps talking gloom and doom. This is the last straw for Judas who has not been able to get Jesus to listen to him, to do what he wants him to do, to embrace his ideas about what Jesus should do with his power. Judas did not come all the way to Jerusalem to have Jesus throw in the regal towel. Judas wants Jesus to throw down the gauntlet, but all Jesus has alluded to, all day is his demise, the end of his mission, ministry message and the end of his life. This for Judas is the Last straw. The other disciples are just as frustrated as Judas, but he acts independently of them, for he is now convinced that Jesus has betrayed him and all of those people who believed he could change the world in which they lived for the better.

THE COVENANT OF FORGIVENESS Mathew 26: 17-29
So it was two days later that the disciples asked about where they all might eat the Passover meal together. Jesus seems to have had it all set up and told the disciples to go to a certain man's house in the city where they would be invited to prepare the Passover. Matthew tells us that Jesus came to the house in the evening and took his place at the table, which probably wasn't a table, because all reclined for the Seder and Jesus would have joined his disciples as they reclined for the feast. Remember how upset the disciples were at the dinner at Simon the Leper's house? It seems that Jesus is persistent in his calling their attention to what is going to happen for, now, right in the middle of the feast of unleavened bread, he announces: "Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me." All mouths stop chewing, a few try to swallow what they have in their mouths, all hands fall slowly to their sides as they stare at Jesus. None can choke out their protest quickly enough to shatter the stunned silence...."Surely not I Lord?!!?" Jesus responds saying "The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me."
After the first cup of the Seder each participant dips the bitter herb--parsley into the salt water as an act of recalling the escape across the sea from their slavery in Egypt. So all have dipped their hands into the bowl. Our mind is focused on Judas, because we already know that he has sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver to the high priest. But the rest of the disciples don't know this. The word betrayal is such a harsh and frightening word and the disciples cannot fathom breaking the bonds of their loyalty to Jesus.
Judas' response say the commentators is telling because he does not call Jesus "Lord" as did the other disciples. Judas says, "Surely not I Rabbi!?
All remain. All are present. All of the disciples are now skittish, afraid, and nervous. Jesus, as the leader of the Seder, resignifies the next part of the ritual, by taking the traditional Matzoh, the unleavened bread, which was consumed in recollection of the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt; He blesses the loaf, breaks it and gives it to the disciples saying: Take, eat this is my body." More stunned silence. During the second cup of Seder when it is customary to recite narrations of the Exodus Story and recite prayers for the future redemption of Israel which anticipate the coming of God's Messiah. This cup looks back in time gratefully remembering how God saved his people from slavery and at the same time, this cup looks forward with eager anticipation to the future redemption of God's people. Jesus recites his own blessing over this cup filled with red wine, representing the blood of the Passover lamb and says: "Drink from it all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." This is what is to be remembered by all in attendance at this supper with the Lord. By this cup they are redeemed now. By this cup they forgiven now. The betrayal of Judas that has been and the desertion by others that will be and the denial by Peter that will be is already forgiven!

IT MUST HAPPEN THIS WAY Matthew 26:31-56
As Jesus agonizes in the garden of Gethsemane and witnesses the weakness of his disciples, we can feel his distress. Even though he is alert to the outcome, even if he is well aware of what has been set in motion, we are aware that he is distressed. His time in the garden of Gethsemane is spent asking for help, for comfort, for the power to trust in the will of God, to trust that the events set in motion the moment he entered the city of Jerusalem four days ago will clearly proclaim God's message of love for all of humankind and will herald God's reign of justice and peace until the end of the age. When Judas arrives with a large crowd wielding swords and clubs, some of whom may be the temple police sent by chief priests and elders of the people, he greets Jesus with a kiss. Jesus' response is evidence of his spiritual transformation in the Garden as he says to Judas: "Friend, do what you are here to do." As the crowd grabbed Jesus to take him away, one of his disciples managed to get his hands on the sword of one of the guardsmen and struck the slave of the high priest cutting off his ear. We want to cheer for that disciple's courage and yet Jesus true to the message he has preached from the beginning, stops him saying put that sword back in its place, for all who take up the sword will perish by the sword. Jesus proclaims to the crowd that he can rally 6000 of God's angels to rescue him, but that would halt all that has been set in motion. Such an intervention would stop the advancement of God's kingdom come. Jesus says to everyone in the crowd, "It has to happen this way." He chides those who have come after him as if he is some zealot rebel, freedom fighter or terrorist, pointing out that he was an easy target all the while he taught in the temple, but this sneaking out in the darkness fulfills the scripture as well.
In that moment, even more confused, befuddled and frightened his disciples deserted him and fled for their lives.

REMEMBERING Matthew 26:57-75
When Jesus announced to his disciples in verse 31: "You will all become deserters, because of me this night." Peter stood before Jesus -- one might guess like a knight of the round table -- right fist held over his heart in a sign of allegiance to the king-- and proclaimed himself to be loyal courageous and true unlike the rest: "Though all become deserters, I will never desert you." I picture Jesus with that knowing look on his face, looking up from half lidded eyes, his lips pursed perhaps deciding whether or not to reveal what he suspects will be the case with Peter one of his most beloved disciples: "Truly I tell you this very night, before the cock crows you will deny me three times." Peter was adamant that he would not fail Jesus, even though he must die himself. The rest of the disciples, with Peter, then swear their oath of allegiance: " I will not deny you." "Even though we must die with you, we will not deny you."
As Peter is seated in the courtyard of the high priests mansion awaiting the verdict of the priests and elders, a servant girl remarks that he is one of Jesus followers. Peter says I don't know what you are talking about. Again another servant girl identifies him as one who was with Jesus. The second time he swore and oath: "I swear I do not know the man."
Then they came to him and said in essence: "Hey buddy, you're not from around here are you. You sound like you might be from Galilee where that fella Jesus is from. In his final response he utters a curse and oath: Dammit, I swear, I do not know the man." And it was in that moment he heard the cock crow and remembered.
As Peter weeps bitterly confronted by his denial of Jesus we pray that he will remember what Jesus said at the beginning of the evening. We pray that he will remember what Jesus said as they ate the Passover together. He said I give my body for you, I shed my blood for you. I am redemption and forgiveness for all of humankind. This is the promise I make to you. The bread and the cup are this covenant sign of the promise I have made. This really is all you need to remember.
Amen.

Rev. Dr. Amanda J. Burr
April 21, 2011