Lent

April 1, 2023

Scripture Reading: Matthew 26:14-27
Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What will you give me if I betray him to you?’ They paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.

On the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?’ He said, ‘Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, “The Teacher says, My time is near; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.” ’ So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover meal.

When it was evening, he took his place with the twelve; and while they were eating, he said, ‘Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.’ And they became greatly distressed and began to say to him one after another, ‘Surely not I, Lord?’ He answered, ‘The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born.’ Judas, who betrayed him, said, ‘Surely not I, Rabbi?’ He replied, ‘You have said so.’

While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you;

Oklahoma farmland has pockets of destruction resulting from the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, where the winds took more than the topsoil but gouged out three-sided gullies. There was one on our farm that was eventually delegated as the junk pile filled with old equipment that had served its purpose. I do not know if that was the case with one of our neighbor’s farms. There was an interesting rock and valley formation that may have been there forever but also could have been eroded into an area that would never be used to plant anything. The owner, however, had a vision of how that land could be useful. With a little rearrangement of some of the areas, he created an outdoor arena that was perfect for an annual Easter pageant.  The churches in my small hometown came together each year to present the story of the last week of Jesus’s life. I am not sure how old I was when I first waved palms and shouted Hosanna as the actor playing, Jesus rode by on a donkey. In junior high, I was one of the people crying out Crucify him! Crucify him! Eventually, I played Solome walking with my sister playing Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the other women who went to anoint Jesus and discovered the tomb was empty.

That experience left an indelible impression on me. I have watched professional reenactments of these same events, but nothing could impress me more than at one moment waving palms of exaltation and just a short time later crying out Crucify him!

I encourage us all this Easter to ponder on the happenings of the coming week and use what we discern as a catalyst for growth in our faith commitment.

Prayer: Lord, open our hearts to the tremendous love you shared with us in sending your Son to be our Savior. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.