Skip to main content

Lent, Day 32 - 2nd Station of the Cross


The scripture readings today are: Psalms 33, 102, 108; Jere 23:9-15, Rom. 9:1-18, & John 6:60-71

I am meditating on the Stations of the Cross - the various places and events that surrounded Jesus' death and burial - leading up to Good Friday. There are fourteen stations of the cross, and although there is a traditional one, I have modified it. Still, prayerfully, reflectively, meditatively, I want to think and pray on a daily basis the sacrifice of my Lord.

The second Station is: Jesus, Betrayed by Judas, is Arrested

Scripture: Then, while [Jesus] was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived, accompanied by a crowd with swords and clubs, who had come from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. His betrayer had arranged a signal with them, saying, "the man I shall kiss is the one; arrest him and lead him away securely." He came and immediately went over to him and said, "Rabbi." And he kissed him. At this they laid hands on him and arrested him.
Mark 14: 43-46

Very few of us have ever faced the pain of a traitor. History is full of names like Judas and Benedict Arnold, Brutus, and in more recent times, Aldrich Ames. What many of us have experienced is the failure of friendship, the person who we believed to be loyal to us turning out to be one who cared only for themself. What we do with people who fail us is more indicative of our own soul, than of our circumstances. If we believe that we are able to make choices and take even the worst of situations and direct them into new realms of living, we'll be fine. If we don't, we probably will live as a victim and never know the fruit of victory.

Jesus is not a victim. He is the one who knows one will betray him, yet never acts to change the circumstances, nor stop Judas from doing what is in his own free will. A friend does not take away another friend's freedom to choose -- even when that freedom is to choose harm towards them.
When I stop at this Station of the Cross, I see Jesus as the victor, not the victim. He knows what is going to happen as a result of Judas' action. What he feels, I believe, is pity and pain for Judas, not for himself.

A Prayer:

"Almighty God, you have brought us to this new day in victory, because of your Son's death on the cross. Help us to live in that victory, making choices that will reflect all that is good in you. Help us to keep our eyes focused on you...who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, despising it's shame. This we ask in Jesus' name, Amen."

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Wednesday, Day 25: Christmas Eve - God Loves Us (So We Can Relax)

For Kids: There’s a lot of things we have to do each day. Get up from our sleep, Get dressed, Eat Breakfast, Get ready for School, Listen to the teacher, play with friends, eat our lunch, and after it’s all done, go back home. There’s time to play, Then we eat our supper… And eventually we have to get ready for bed and go to sleep! And then we do it all over again the next day. Sometimes there’s a vacation - like right now - and we get more time to play, to have fun and not have to do work at school. Our parents are good at helping us know what time it is and what we need to do next – even when we don’t want to move on to the next thing.  God is also good at helping us know what time it is, and what is next.  He doesn’t shout at us, or yell, or even scream…he does it peacefully, quietly.  He wants us to understand that he does it, most of all, for us. Christmas can be quite busy and there’s lots of things going on at once…but l...
Post a Comment
Read more

Joy to the World - Help is On the Way

It’s the first day of Advent– while you prepare for Worship this morning at church take a minute to ask God to direct you through this season that you might be prepared to “receive your King”. In the first week of Advent we celebrate the PROMISE of His Coming. His promise is based on our need. We were made in his image, but there is emptiness in our soul that is the result of the Fallen nature of sin. But why did Jesus come? What in his coming announces God's heart? His desire for us to know and experience? 10 BUT THE ANGEL SAID TO THEM, "DO NOT BE AFRAID; FOR BEHOLD, I BRING YOU GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY WHICH WILL BE FOR ALL THE PEOPLE; 11 FOR TODAY IN THE CITY OF DAVID THERE HAS BEEN BORN FOR YOU A SAVIOR, WHO IS CHRIST THE LORD. GREAT JOY! Did you know that God is Joyful? 1 CHRONICLES 16:23-27 (NASB) 23 SING TO THE LORD, ALL THE EARTH; PROCLAIM GOOD TIDINGS OF HIS SALVATION FROM DAY TO DAY. 24 TELL OF HIS GLORY AMONG THE NATIONS, HIS WONDERFUL DEEDS AMONG ALL THE PEOPLES....
46 comments
Read more

Wondering Out Under the Stars

A Reading: Colossians 1:9-20 (NIV) 9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether th...
28 comments
Read more