Holy Wednesday –Patterns of darkness emerge

Luke 22: 1-5

Now the festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was near. ² The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Jesus to death, for they were afraid of the people. ³ Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve; ⁴ he went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers of the temple police about how he might betray him to them. ⁵ They were greatly pleased and agreed to give him money. ⁶ So he consented and began to look for an opportunity to betray him to them when no crowd was present.

Thought for Holy Wednesday

 Feasts are very important. They bring people together. This is true in most cultures, and particularly true in Judaism. The Passover is the pinnacle of the year. It is a time when they are reminded of the great deliverance from slavery to freedom; of the covenant made with the God of the universe to be representatives of all that is good and life-giving. Feasts always seem to have an underbelly, which are not good. In the midst of sumptuous foods and laughter, there are those with little to eat and no one to laugh with. Stories always seem to have someone in them whose role it seems is to take the blame. Judas is the one who is held accountable in the story of Holy Week. It is easy for someone to take the blame; it absolves the rest of us of our own responsibility and culpability. As we move ever closer to the feast of Easter, what is it that we would rather not look at and who should we include this year that we have excluded in other years.

Prayer

God of hope and exclusion

God of grace and glory

Be with us when we are blamed

In the Name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.