Today’s readings: Click on today’s date at http://www.usccb.org/bible/
Blood sacrifice
Thursday April 17, 2014
Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday), First Day of the Paschal Triduum
Exodus 12:6-7
Moses told the people, “Slaughter the lamb during the evening twilight and take its blood, apply it to the two doorposts and lintel of every house.”
On this night Jesus celebrated the Passover meal privately with his disciples and offered them his body and blood in the forms of the Passover bread and wine. We have never forgotten the ritual he established then. It is precious to us today.
Then Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and went with the remaining eleven to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. Judas had left them and was bringing soldiers to arrest Jesus. Jesus prayed alone. He wept. “My soul is sorrowful to the point of death.” He fell with his face to the ground. He cried out, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.”
There was silence in the garden. The disciples had fallen asleep. Jesus knew Jeremiah’s desperate sadness personally: “The word of the Lord has brought me reproach and derision all day long.” He turned in acceptance toward his Father and said, “May your will be done.” His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
Three times Jesus prayed, and then his words awakened and frightened his friends. “Look! The hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go.”
In the ensuing nighttime struggle Peter cut off a soldier’s ear. The blood was everywhere. Jesus touched the side of the soldier’s face, and the bloodflow stopped, the ear was restored.
“Peter! He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword!” Peter heard Jesus, but he must have been in a panic to protect his friend. “You have the words of eternal life,” Peter had said to Jesus (John 6). But now Jesus was surrendering himself without resistance to killers. These knew nothing of Jesus’ joy and love. Nothing of his words. They had never heard him laugh. The Kingdom of God meant nothing to them.
The earth is crashing into heaven, and it looks like heaven is losing.
Those who would be first must be last. Jesus said it over and over. Now he steps down, into this service, without majesty, without power. He is willing to give himself over and die.
By his stripes.
Oh Jesus, this agony you endure breaks us as you walk into it and through it step by step. Your mother screams in pain when she sees your back being whipped. We turn away afraid to meet your eyes. Like Peter, we deny, we rationalize. And our violence even against ourselves gives us away as power-hungry rather than silent, as grasping victory rather than simply resting with you in the arms of our Father.
http://www.christiancounselingservice.com/archived_devotions.php?article_id=1278
