Daily Office Readings for Friday of Proper 11: Year 2
Morning, Psalms 40 and 54, Evening, Psalm 51;
Joshua 9:22 to 10:15; Romans 15:14 to 24; Matthew 27:1to 10
“He said, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.’ But they said, ‘What is that to us? See to it yourself’” (Matthew 27: 4)
Judas has betrayed our Lord Jesus. He is sorry he did this. He goes to the religious and spiritual leaders of his community for repentance. There is no compassion to be found, no consolation. He goes off and hangs himself. Poor Judas.
What’s going on here? First of all, the chief priests and the elders were, sadly, co-conspirators in the plan to arrest and kill Jesus. They were co-conspirators with Judas. I ponder about what made him think he could then go back to them for any kind of understanding. However, what really stuns me is their response to Judas. “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” See WHAT to yourself? They are in a hard place. If they acknowledge that Judas was a bad actor, they must also own blame themselves. But what they have done is to forsake one of their own people by not helping him find a way to repent. Too bad that John the Baptist is already dead, Judas could have used him.
Christian clergy today must remember, as someone once told me, “it takes sheep to make a shepherd, otherwise, you are just a person with a funny looking stick.” The sheep are the most important part of ministry, no sheep; no ministry. And you don’t have to be officially ordained to be a shepherd. Somebody is watching and learning from you. Lead on.
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done” (Genesis 2:1 and 2). So, for this evening and tomorrow day my friends, Shabbat Shalom.
What is Shabbat? Intro to the Jewish Sabbath – YouTube
Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, Israel, Palestine and our schools. As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
Let us pray:
Most Holy God, while we are created in your image, none of us are perfect. Increase our compassion for one another O lord, in order that we will listen to each other in Christ Jesus and be co-healers with him of lost souls. This we ask in the Name of Jesus, Amen.
onewhoponders 