bowl with me. 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.” (Mark 14: 20-21)
I close my eyes and hear these words in my mind. They are words
filled with sorrow, pain and perhaps even bitterness, for He is human.
He knows what will happen, must happen. Does He utter the words
with some small hope that the betrayer might reconsider his actions?
Or is He simply saying, “I know who you are and what you are
doing?” How excruciating it must be to know that someone He calls
friend, disciple, trusted companion will soon deliver Him up to those
who will torture and kill Him.
And His words speak to us still. He knows what is in us, what we
have done, what we will do. We say that we follow Him. How, then,
do we nonetheless betray Him? Our human imperfection, our
pettiness, apathy, and dishonesty continually denounce Him who
suffered and died for us. We must look into ourselves and ask Him to
strengthen us in faith, hope and love that we may not fail or abandon
Him when we are tempted. What is past is forgiven, what lies ahead
is within us, with His help, to change, repair and improve.
"God our Father, we are exceedingly frail and indisposed to every
virtuous and gallant undertaking. Strengthen our weakness, we
beseech you, that we may do valiantly in this spiritual war; help us
against our own negligence and cowardice, and defend us from the
treachery of our unfaithful hearts; for Jesus Christ's sake." (Prayer of
Thomas a Kempis)
Barbara White
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