Tuesday 7th April 2020
Tuesday of holy week
Isaiah 49:1-6, John
13:21-33,36-38
I don't know how many of us have
experienced moments of betrayal. You trust so much in someone, tells the person
everything about you and at the end of
the day, you discover that the person was never a friend. We can only imagine
what is going on in the mind of Jesus at this very moment as he approaches the
hour of his death. Yesterday, he went to the house of Lazarus and his sisters,
Mary and Martha, just to experience some love from them.
Jesus had spent 3 years with his
disciples and he had thought them the things of the kingdom. He has already
accepted to lay down his life for our sake, but it is very painful if the one
who is to betray him is one of his disciples whom he had taught for the past
three years. There have been many arguments as to why Judas will betray Jesus.
Was it his love for money? Did he think that Jesus will use that opportunity to
perform another miracle and start a revolution that will overthrow Rome? If we
make all these excuses for Judas, what excuse do we have for Peter who Jesus
knows too that he will deny him?
We can only imagine how alone
Jesus is feeling right now. He knows that he will soon die, but that a close
friend will betray him and all his friends will desert him is very
disheartening. You know your true friends in moments of crisis.
In psalm 55:12, the psalmist says
that if an enemy does what is wrong, it is easier to bear because there was no
expectation of a good act, but it is a friend of Jesus who eats and speaks with
him every day and knows all his ways.
If you can stand with someone
during moments of enjoyment and pleasure, you should also be a good friend and
be there during pain and suffering. May God save us from the hands of fake
friends who are only there when things are moving well, but ready to sell us
for a penny or deny us at the slightest perception of pain. Amen. God help us.
Fr Michael Osatofoh Eninlejie MSP
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