Good morning all! We are starting to be in the home stretch now….
Today’s scripture:
John 13:21-30
21 After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. 23 One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining next to him; 24 Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. 25 So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot.27 After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “Do quickly what you are going to do.” 28 Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. 29 Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival”; or, that he should give something to the poor. 30 So, after receiving the piece of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.
There was a little tickle in my throat last night in choir. It was just a little scratchy. The other day I had been sneezing a lot but there is a lot of pollen in the air too. I went home and thought to myself, “perhaps this is just allergies too….who knows.” Then I started to get a little stuffed up. Last night was rough sleeping and my throat hurt like crazy. Yup, I think it might be….the annual Holy Week cold! Oh nooooo! And during Holy Week?!! I mean, I shouldn’t be surprised but I am. This is the WORST time to have a little cold and hopefully it is only a little cold. I will drink fluids today…..and rest….well, as much as I do…..
My mind starts racing about all of the things that need to get done today and this week. When do I have time to kick a cold to the curb? Plus then I just get frustrated and upset that my nose is slowing me down. AND then I get reeeallly frustrated and upset that this might mean that I can’t go work out later today.
This feels like the ultimate betrayal! Ok, that might be exaggerating a bit. But what I do know is that if I don’t care for myself a little today, this is going to get out of control and I can’t bring my best self to the table. If I don’t take just a little rest to care for my physical body, my spiritual body can’t be present for this story during holy week.
Judas betrays Jesus in the story above. It is a deep betrayal. He has been distracted for a while. He really can’t show up to the table. We write him off as being extreme. We sigh and say, “Thank God, that’s not me.” My dear friend John sent me a card a while back that said, “Judas. Worst. Friend. Ever.” Then you open the card and it says something like, “Thank God, you aren’t him.” That is what I tend to do with this particular story. Thank God, I wouldn’t have been Judas. He was awful. He betrayed Jesus. He couldn’t be present in the most holy of times.
But then I do stuff like get sick and try to pretend that I am not (which is really isn’t a big thing but its a thing….and I don’t need anything, thank you…and I might be a little stubborn…). And then I busy myself with stuff that takes me away from these moments of sacred space. Of being at the table. And then I get distracted with trying to keep my schedule and my ego going. And then I walk away from the spaces that are full of life into complaining about how crazy this week is. In doing all of this, I betray Jesus yet again. When I can’t create space for Jesus, I am betraying Jesus in this moment. When I can’t bring my best self to the story, I am missing out on what my best self could become. I am so busy being tired and busy and mucusy that I can’t be part of it all.
It is the middle of the week. We are all a little already ragged. So….how will you care for yourself today so you can come to the table tomorrow? How will you take a moment of rest so that you might not be distracted when it comes time to be present?
For me….I will be drinking orange juice and tea and not moving quite as quickly today. 🙂
Peace,
Court
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