Holy Thursday

The washing of the feet at our Lords' supper is the example of being human that we need to follow.  Using our mind to shed the "either-or" thinking and to explore and incorporate, and to eventually live by, non-dual thinking.  

It's not our fault, in so far as we are equipped with and taught the very basics as children.  We isolate into common groups, sports teams, pattern identification in school testing, it all became the system in which we operate with. 

Jesus came to show us that we can use another way to bring the Kingdom to us here.   It requires us to be empathetic, understanding, courageous, inclusive, and a person of action.

Washing the feet opens the door to a new way of thinking.  Serve, lead, work with, incorporate and include, advance the meaning and reason for the law.  It says that "I share in your life"  "We are equal"

Remember that the example of Christ and our response will shape the future and build a better world.

My brothers, "Be still" 

"Here is Your King"

Good Friday Reflection 2016

John purposely avoids the title “King” throughout his gospel, but that is what the focus is during this arrest and crucifixion.

What we also see from this Passion reading is that the bloody details are glazed over to continue the theme of the mission of Jesus. 

The Passover Lamb is unblemished.  Jesus came into this world to speak the truth.

The Good Shepherd was obedient to Truth, and accepted His death at the hands of humanity, and the sins that we commit that we may have everlasting life.

When the mob comes to arrest Jesus He uses the “I AM’ which is known to the Jews and so that they may understand the meaning and connection of this night. 

There is no fighting from Jesus, only the impulsive actions of, Peter, who cuts the ear of, Malchus, a slave to a high priest.  Peter, a lone swordsman, against an army of armed men is once again stopped by the calming authority of Jesus and is told to scabbard his sword. Peter must have been baffled at this response.  All he wanted to do was to defend Jesus.  He couldn’t see that this act of violence in the face of violence could only make things worse.

“Shall I not drink the cup my Father gave me?”

The Jews are still stuck on the law when they wouldn’t go inside the pagan Praetorium to see Pilate, and practiced their purity forcing Pilate to come outside so they could still be pure and celebrate the Passover.  They were blind to the unblemished Lamb that was about to be sacrificed before their eyes.

Pilate questions Jesus in front of everyone and tries to pin him down as king.

Remember what happened when the Israelites ask Samuel for a king?  Jesus moves away from the king title and answers;

           

“It is you that say I am king.  For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.  Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”  Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

Well, Truth is right there, bloody and beaten with our sins and the sins of the whole world.  The perfect sacrifice to the Father is about to die for you and me.

The act of Love that drives home the point is with John and Mary.  Many women in this time period would have been left to prostitution without a man to take care of them and Jesus asks a friend to take care of his mom.

“Woman, behold, your son.”  Then he said to the disciple, Behold, your mother.”  And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.”(John 19:25-27)

One question I have encountered all of my life when dealing with people that try to trap me in my faith is “Where was God when this all happened?”

The answer is very easy: Dying on the cross for you and me an act of Love and freedom we can only come to know by entering deeply into the Passion.

Holy Saturday awaits us.

It Was Night

Reflection Holy Thursday 2016

The night is tense and filled with rituals  remembering Moses and Aaron and the Passover instructions, and John the Baptist already set up the night when he called Jesus “the Lamb of God” reflecting the first Passover meal and connecting it to this night.

Jesus, knowing His hour had come, breaks from the tradition.  There is something new here.  Jesus takes off His outer garments and very deliberately takes each disciple’s foot and washes them.

“He rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist.  Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist.” John 13:4,5

After Peter contested this and very honestly tells Jesus that he will always be there to support Him, Jesus, tells of a betrayal using familiar words from a psalm of David.

           

“He who shares my table takes advantage of me.” John 13:18

Jesus doesn’t reveal the betrayer in front of the others and Judas now realizes that Christ will remain silent.  There is only instruction from Jesus to Judas.

“What you are going to do, do quickly.” John 13:28 29

It was night.