Maundy Thursday
Thursday 29th March 2018
Maundy Thursday
1 Cor 11.23-26
John 13. 1-17; 31b-35
Revd Preb Maureen Hobbs
Who has not pondered on the mind of Judas? Of what his motives might possibly have been? How could he betray his friend and master? Someone he had followed and listened to and walked the length of Israel with? Someone he had seen perform wonderful feats – feed the hungry, touch the untouchables, protest against injustice and poverty.
Well maybe it was precisely because of all of that – and more – that Judas felt it right to try and bounce Jesus into taking the final step, the action, the rebellion that he seemed suddenly hesitant to lead? And how often do we seek to make God walk to the beat of our drum? To listen to our views, to follow our priorities? Are we so very different from Judas ourselves?
A poem by Steve Stockman… the minister of Fitzroy Presbyterian Church in Belfast, N. Ireland
Judas, Judas
What were you thinking
You had another agenda
You had a better plan
Brute force to power to reign in might
To make all the Gentiles pay
And the Pharisee betrayers and deniers as well
Yes, all you were doing
Was pushing the envelope
Nudging the inevitable
Speeding up the Messiah’s path to that sacred throne of David.
So Judas
What were you thinking
Were you frustrated at Jesus approach
Did you run of patience with loving your enemy
Had you gotten fed up with humility and donkeys
Did you feel led on or even betrayed.
Judas, Judas
I hear you cry from outside my door
A society kissing God goodbye
As we write our agendas of more and more
Of building bigger barns to horde treasure on earth
At any cost whatever to whoever
They all have the same opportunity as us do they not?
A people kissing God goodbye
As they fight for a land for themselves
That they don’t want to share with others
Because others are different
And others might impinge on our traditions and our comfort
A culture kissing God goodbye
As they free themselves from any superstitions
Or old fashioned ideas of morals or values
Or boundaries by which to live by
Because we as humans have a better, smarter more evolved agenda
That will keep us all free to fight for our human right.
Judas, Judas
I hear you cry from inside myself
When I get frustrated
That my prayers don’t get answered now
That my friends don’t find Jesus now
That nobody seems to notice my contribution
Or nobody asks me to make one
Or people criticise the contributions I make
That the minister doesn’t share my vision
That the leaders don’t rush it along
That the worship leaders don’t play my songs
That the services are too old fashioned
Or too contemporary
That Lord you don’t seem to be living out my agenda.
Lord, Lord
Forgive us when we betray you
When we step out of intimate fellowship
Into the dark and the shadows
When we think we need to make it happen
On our terms and in our time
Forgive us when we seem to know better than you
And when we need to jump start you into action
With our betraying kiss.
Lord, Lord
Help us to see the Judas in us all
Help us to find our ways through the shadows and darkness
Do something that the light of your glory might shine upon us
And that we could find our way back onto your agenda once again.
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”