Dear Theophilus,
What courage Jesus must have
had! I wish I had such courage. I wish I could stand before those that oppose
me and watch their plans unfold with no fear of their implications! Instead, I spend hours in anxious worry,
wondering if I will endure, hoping for another day. It is a good thing that faith would not
depend on my strength, for I have little of which to brag!
As for Judas, there seems to be
little merit in the man. Surely, the
first twinges of shame have reached him by this point, as he watches Jesus
closely. He must know that money will
not fill the hole that he is digging in his soul. I suppose many before and after his example
have tried to do the same, elevating money to a place it does not deserve, only
to find disappointment rather than joy, and while each tale is meant to be a
lesson, the allure of gold and silver seems as though it will never
falter. At times, it seems easier to
believe in Satan than God—I can imagine Satan laughing maniacally as Judas
falls prey to this simple temptation, and yet I have such trouble picturing
God. I expect he would find pleasure in
watching his faithful ones endure challenges with integrity, but it always
seems easier to find pleasure in another’s failings than it is to enjoy their
success.
All the powers in the world may be
opposing Jesus, but he still has power to amaze. In the preparations for the Passover you
mentioned, Jesus sent Peter and John to make the preparations, which included
sacrificing the lamb on the day of Unleavened Bread. While the disciples knew that this day was
coming for some time, they had apparently never discussed exactly where they
would be honoring this day, for the disciples had to ask where Jesus wanted
them to prepare.
Jesus, in response, gives them some
very curious instructions, words that would cause most of us to question him,
but Jesus has given the disciples every reason to be completely confidant in
him, so after hearing these words, Peter and John followed his instructions and
found them to be accurate.
Jesus told them that a man with a
jar of water will meet them upon their entrance to Jerusalem. He will make his way into a house, and the
owner of that house is to be told that the Teacher wants to know where the
guest room is, so that he may eat Passover with the disciples.
As I said—if I heard such
mysterious directions from most people, I’d have a list of questions as long as
your arm. I have to imagine that more
than one man carries water in a jar in Jerusalem, and if they missed the right
one, would they have to start all over?
Jesus could have been a bit more clear, but Peter and John trust
him. Jesus has proved himself to be
trustworthy, and he is in this case, too.
Everything is as he said, and the Passover was prepared.
What a strange and wonderful story
this is, friend.
Sincerely,
Luke
No comments:
Post a Comment