Lenten Reflection - Mark 14:12-25 by Laurie McAnally
12 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” 13 So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” 16 The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. 17 When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. 18 While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.” 19 They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely you don’t mean me?” 20 “It is one of the Twelve,” he replied, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me. 21 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” 22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” 23 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them.25 “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” Mark 14:12-25
What Jesus is saying: "One of you shall betray me. And yet, I still offer my body and my blood to that person, along with all of the others."
If I had a rat in my attic, I'd call an exterminator. And I wouldn't offer the rat a snack while I was waiting.
We prepare ourselves every morning to face a flawed, frightening world. The "IRS" is calling to let us know that a judgment has been filed against us. The company that employs us is downsizing again. The presidential candidates don't seem to have our best interests at heart.
Little kindnesses have disappeared, too. There's a driver behind us flashing his headlights because we aren't driving fast enough to suit him. A person in line sighs loudly because an elderly person is taking too long digging through her change. Facebook is full of hateful posts towards those who don't fit in with the accepted standard of the moment.
And in the middle of this chaos, Jesus offers an oasis. "Take. Eat. Drink. Rest. Abide." Even those who don't "deserve it." Which is pretty much all of us.