Jesus is the Suffering Servant that Isaiah describes in the first reading. This is a strong Jesus striding forth to accomplish His aims, confident even in the face of humiliation, rejection, and death. Jesus in the Gospel is a little different. Knowing that He is about to suffer and die He still gathers His friends around Him, the one who will betray Him and the ones who will abandon Him. He gathers them and speaks with love and forgiveness. We are called to be like Jesus in all of this. We need to admit that we are Judas as well, called and blessed by the Lord but willing to betray Him. We receive the wages of sin and find them inadequate. Do we refuse to approach the Lord for forgiveness and healing? Yes, at least partially: in some ways we imitate Judas's suicide... We are the apostles sent on a mission: "Find this man and tell him thus and so." Do we go in faith to prepare the way for the Lord? Even something as simple and Martha-like as preparing for a meal? And then discover that it is not just any meal that the Lord calls us to prepare and participate in? We are the one in whose house Jesus wishes to celebrate the True Passover. We are also the priests and authorities who are convinced that they must let nothing stand in God's way, especially not this troublemaker who won't follow the rules, even if we have to silence Him in God's name. We are all of these, and if we wish to enter into the mystery of these days... |