Who Is Your Neighbor?

Luke 10:25-37

When we were kids, we had lots of neighbors…and we knew who they were. We played together, and our parents visited back and forth. Most of us had front porches where we would gather to talk, play games, be neighborly. We knew who our neighbors were at least in relationship to where we lived. Today, it seems that many of us don’t know our neighbors and even fewer of us visit our neighbors. We are afraid we will intrude upon their “favorite” TV show. Or we feel that we have to call. Whatever happened to dropping in to visit?

The expert in law who addressed Jesus and asked Him, “Who is my neighbor?” really didn’t want an answer. He wanted justification for not helping his neighbors.

Jesus was not going to be taken in be such a device. Instead, Jesus told the man the story of the good Samaritan. Now, I think we all agree that it is a terrific story which makes a good point for all of us. We need to help our neighbors when they are in distress.

But Jesus put a twist on this story. The people the we would have considered as the helpful ones…the priest and the Levite…crossed the street and left the man behind. I wonder how many of us have done the same kind of thing in word and/or deed? My guess is that we all have. But I will speak only for myself and say that I have. And it gives me no pleasure to admit that.

But what is it that makes the story of the good Samaritan stand out for us? We do know that he certainly went above and beyond what was asked of him. And he was willing to pay for extended care for the injured man. The reason this is such an amazing story is that Jews and Samaritans could not stand each other. When Jews were going from Capernaum to Jerusalem, they went around Samaria and made the trip 120 miles instead of 60-90 miles. Jews had nothing to do with Samaritans and vice versa.

Therefore the priest and the Levite were behaving as they were taught to behave. The Samaritan behaved as Jesus would have us behave…to show mercy to everyone…not just those in our church, our social status, our race, our religion, our intelligence…everyone. To do less gives Christianity a black-eye.

Carol

Bible Breath: Helping neighbors / Praises God

What Are Our Excuses?

Luke 9:57-62

This scripture should make all of us think in my opinion. We say that we will follow Jesus, but do we really mean that? I don’t think most of us do. We follow Him if it is convenient for us to follow Him. As long as we “look good” following Jesus, we will. But how many people have you told lately that you follow Jesus? And why not?

Jesus is explicit in His demands upon us. We are to “follow Him” purely and simply with no excuses. In this section of Scripture the men to whom Jesus said, “Follow me,” had excuses as to why they could not do so. We read that and think, “Oh my goodness, what were they thinking?”

Oh, my goodness, what are we thinking? It seems to me that we tend to be followers of Jesus and solid believers when it is convenient for us to do so…or when we have needs that prayer and fellowship can help ameliorate. Maybe I am just being harsh on people. But that is what I see. And I do not exclude myself from my criticism. Sometimes it is easy to follow; sometimes it is difficult to follow. But we are asked to follow Jesus first and foremost in our lives. He is to be more important than anything else including families, jobs, etc.

We need truly to follow Jesus with all our hearts and souls and might.

Carol

Bible Breath: Go proclaim / Kingdom of God

Top of the Heap

Luke 9:46-50

The disciples truly had trouble understanding the gist of what Jesus was saying just as we have difficulty today. No matter what group of people gathers together…whether religious or secular…people strive to be “top dog”.

You see that going on in every kind of organization or business you can think of: hospitals, schools, Girl Scouts, bridge clubs, Lions Club, Rotary, churches, unfortunately…people want to be at the top of the social structure. We seem to think that being on top of an organization will improve our status in the group or in the community no matter what the size of the community is.

That is what politics is all about…in all organizations. But that is not want Jesus was about. Jesus wanted us to be servants. Now, I have said before that I don’t like the word servant…or the concept. But what I think I truly dislike is the word slave and its concept.

Jesus wants us to serve one another. He does not want us to argue about who is the greatest. He would rather see us serving one another as well as God. This is one principle He is about…serving. His disciples must have been absolutely stunned when Jesus washed their feet at the Last Supper. But He did it to make a point. Not one of us is so “good” that he/she cannot serve another person.

It may sound like an enigma that the last will be first, and the first will be last. But that is what we are taught through Jesus’ examples and His behavior. He does not ask us to do anything that He did not do. In fact, Jesus does not ask us to do what He did…die on the cross for us.

Carol

Bible Breath: Welcoming child / Welcomes Me

What Demon?

Luke 8:26-39

I am curious why the New Testament dwells so much on “demons” because the Old Testament doesn’t. In fact, demons are mentioned only two times in the entire Old Testament:

Deuteronomy 32:17 - “They [Israel] sacrificed to demons,

which are not God…gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared, gods your fathers did not fear.”

And again in Psalm 106:36,37 - “They [Israel] worshiped idols which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and

 their daughters to demons.” And it seems to me that “demons” in this instance are the idols and the worship of them.

However, in the New Testament demons run rampant. And

they appear to be used as a literary device to show the authority of Jesus…that is if Jesus can cast out “demons”, He must be the Son of God. John tries very hard to write so that we understand that Jesus has the authority from God to do the things that He does…that Jesus really is the Son of God.

There is no better way to demonstrate authority than to drive

 out “Legions” of demons from the young man. We can assume that Jesus was driving evil from him.

But it seems strange to me that the “demons” or whatever they were should ask to be put into a herd of swine which

subsequently charged headlong over a cliff. The owners of the swine were then left without their means of income.

To say that I do not really understand this section is probably

an understatement of great magnitude. I do not understand this particular Scripture. And I don’t know how demons became so active in the New Testament when they are hardly mentioned in the Old Testament. I know that a number of years passed between the end of the OT and the beginning of the New Testament. Perhaps people began believing in demons during the interim.

One thing we can be certain of…Jesus can rid us of evil in whatever form it takes…if we let Him.

Carol

Bible Breath: Tell what God / Has done for you

The Sower

Luke 8:4-15

This parable is one which definitely speaks to me. I wonder if it speaks to others in such a vivid way. One reason I like it is that the community I live in has a lot of farming around it. Another reason is that my dad could make anything grow…whether it happened to be flowers or vegetables. However, he did what many people do not do when they plant seeds. He nurtured them throughout the growing season. And he always had a good crop. It was fun to watch his success year after year.

On the flip side of the coin is a person like me. I cannot get anything to grow. People have given me very hardy plants as well as instructions. No matter how hard I try to keep the plants alive, they die…every time. I love flowers and plants, but they seem not to like me. Now, I will admit that I am also violently allergic to many of them. Perhaps they realize this and so they fail to thrive.

I think many of us have been at various points along the path which Jesus describes in His parable. At some times in our lives we are like the seeds that are scattered in the various environments. At least my life has been that way. At times the Word has fallen on deaf ears, at other times I have heard but not listened; at still other times the Word is choked out of me; and there are those wonderful times when I hear and understand the Word and flourish.

We all need to remember what it feels like when we flourish so that if we experience miserable times, and we will, we remember how to return to flourishing instead of having our faith fail to thrive.

We need to pray that God will keep us fertile soil for His Word. We need to listen for the presence of Jesus in our lives. We can know that He is with us if we are quiet and pay attention.

Carol

Bible Breath: The seed is / The Word of God

Who Visits Your Home?

Luke 7:36-50

Have you ever paid attention to the kinds of people you invite into your home…or in some way or another they end up there? I can remember as I was growing up that everyone seemed to be welcome in our home…with one or two exceptions. My mom in particular was uncomfortable with anyone of color who happened to drop by except for one young man she knew very well. And she was uncomfortable with people with retardation. She said she “didn’t know how to speak to them”.

My dad on the other hand was happy and comfortable with anyone in our home…but he was brought up quite differently and was a more accepting person as were his parents. My mother’s mother was not accepting of most people so Mom actually did quite well.

Are there people that you are not comfortable with in your homes? I would guess there are. The Pharisee was comfortable enough with Jesus in his home, but many people were not happy with Jesus’ being there.

And then the woman “who had lived a sinful life” appeared. That must have created an uproar for everyone except Jesus. He was able to accept her, and her tears as well as her gift of perfume. The Pharisee had offered Jesus none of these things although he could have afforded to give Jesus much more…provide more hospitality, but he didn’t.

And then Jesus forgave the woman’s sins. It is fascinating to me that people became upset that Jesus forgave sins even though I understand that it wasn’t the convention of the time. But the people did not understand that Jesus and God were the same. And Jesus told her to go in peace. I wonder if we send our visitors away with such a blessing. Frequently, some of us are glad to see visitors go so that we can get back to our TV program. What a terrible way to honor God!

Carol

Bible Breath: Your faith saved you / Go in peace

John Questions

Luke 7:18-28

Have you ever wondered about Jesus? I know I have, and I am certain that I am not alone. How is it that he died for us and did He really do so. Is this just a story? How are we to truly know what the situation was?

And after we have asked our zillion questions for the zillionth time, we feel as if we shouldn’t have asked such questions. And yet we do. It is hard to believe something we don’t see with our own eyes; that we don’t experience. And so we fall on our knees and ask God to forgive our unbelief. The good thing is that He does forgive us…over and over again.

But what about John the Baptist? He had seen and heard of Jesus’ miracles. He knew Jesus had raised someone from the dead and had fed the thousands of people. He also knew that Jesus had preached the Good News to many people.

And yet John sent his friends to Jesus to ask if He were really the Messiah or was there another person for whom they were waiting. Doesn’t this seem odd to you? But we must remember that when John asked the questions, he was in Herod’s jail. He undoubtedly was relatively certain that he was not going to leave the jail alive. John just needed, like we all do, to be reassured that Jesus is Christ, the Messiah.

If John needed reassurance, perhaps we should not be quite so hard on ourselves when at such a distance in time, we ask the same questions, “Is it really you, Lord? Are you really the Messiah?” And the answer is yes, it is He who stands beside us all the time. But we do need to look to see Him.

Carol

Bible Breath: God has come / To help His people

The Centurian

Luke 7:1-10

What kind of faith do any of us have in Jesus? Do we truly believe? The centurion truly believed in Jesus and his power to heal his servant. The centurion thought himself unworthy of Jesus’ help. But he believed in Jesus’ ability and love so much that he told Jesus that his servant would be healed by Jesus’ word only. Jesus did not need to go to the centurion’s house.

In our day and age I wonder about our faith, don’t you? What do you have faith in? I have faith that my car will start when I start it. I know that the refrigerator will run. I am certain that the price of gas will increase. I believe that the surgeon will repair me. I have faith in the plumber to fix the pipes in my house. I have seen all of these things transpire.

But how well do I believe that things will transpire that I do not see? Do I have the faith in Jesus that He would heal my “servant” or my friend just by saying so? We say we believe this.

However, my guess is that we really have more faith in our cars.

Carol

Bible Breath: Say the word / We will be healed

Easter Sunday

John 20:1-18 NIV

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb.

He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)

Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realized that it was Jesus.

“Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried our in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).

Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father to my God and your God.’ “

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news? “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Holy Saturday

The last day of Lent. Jesus is in the tomb. Everyone is wondering what will happen next. We wait and pray.

Good Friday

Close to Jesus

John 18:1 - 19:42

As you pray through the Passion Narrative, recall your experience of doing this last Sunday and/or during the week with Matthew. Both evangelists find themes of Exodus and Jesus as King. What variations and nuances can you find?

Let your whole day be soaked with the saving Blood of Jesus by reading these scenes in the narrative. Here is a suggested outline:

6 AM (or upon rising) Arrest Trial, Denial of Peter 18:1-27

9 AM Jesus and Pilate 18:28-40

12 PM Scourging, Crown of Thorns, Crucifixion 19:1-30

3 PM Piercing the side; Burial 19:31-42

Be close to your Lord throughout this day, just as did the beloved disciple and Mary, Mother of Jesus. 1

Carol

1 The Bible Through the Seasons by

Pastor Nicholas J. Connolly; page 57.

Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday

On this day five events are commemorated:

1. The washing of the Disciples’ feet by Jesus

2. The institution of the Mystery of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper

3. The agony of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane

4. The betrayal of Christ by Judas Iscariot

5. Jesus’ giving the disciples the only commandment He ever gave…Love others as I have loved you.

In the United Methodist Church we call the Holy Eucharist Holy Communion most of the time. This was the last meal that Jesus ate with the twelve disciples. It took place during Passover. The bread which is used represents Jesus’ body which was broken for us. The wine represents his blood of the new covenant between God and people and for the forgiveness of sins.

The Bible readings for today in addition to the regular readings are:

Matthew 26:17-30

Matthew 27:51-66

Remember that on Friday the readings will be at:

6:00 AM

9:00 AM

12:00 PM

3:00 PM

Carol

Bible Breath: One of you / Will betray me

Holy Week

Yesterday was the beginning of Holy Week. It was Palm Sunday. The Bible tells the story of this week better than I could or anyone else for that matter. Someone in a committee meeting I attended suggested that this is an example of “what a week can mean” in the history of the world. I am continuing the read the scriptures for this week, but I am going to suggest that we read those pertaining to this Holy Week as well.

The scriptures I will use during the week are those that we used in our wonderful church service yesterday. And so we begin the journey:

Philippians 2:5-11

Isaiah 50:4-9a

Matthew 26:14-49

Remember during this week that Christ was crucified for you so that you would not need to be sacrificed as the animals were in The Hebrew Bible (OT). In the Hebrew Bible the animals were sacrificed for the sins of the people. Can we even begin how it would have felt if we had been used instead of the animals? God was gracious and merciful to the people.

In the New Testament God extends His mercy and sends us His Son who dies for us all…He redeems us from our sins.

Carol

Bible Breath: Jesus Christ / Died for our sins

His Name Is John.

Luke 1:57-80

You just have to be delighted for Zechariah and Elizabeth. Here was a couple who thought there was no way they could have a child. And when Zechariah was told they would have a son, he questioned the angel and said that he was old and Elizabeth was barren.

For his disobedience Zechariah became mute throughout Elizabeth’s pregnancy. I bet there were some people who thought he was nuts, what do you think? He went into the temple to burn incense. When he left the temple, he was unable to talk, and for nine months he remained mute.

That surely tells us something about us, doesn’t it. I know I talk way too much and don’t have much to say sometimes at that. But I keep blithering on. I am blessed that God has not made me mute just to shut me up sometimes.

But Zechariah’s ability to speak when he needed to speak. When the time came to circumcise and name his son, the people were going to name him after his father. At that very moment Zechariah was able to speak and said, “No! He is to be called John.” Those who were there argued about the name as nobody named John had ever been in the family. But this time Zechariah not only obeyed the Lord, but he also prophesied about his son’s life.

His name was John, and he prepared the way for Jesus.

Carol

Bible Breath: Preparing the way / For Jesus

Two Women

Luke 1:26-56

Can you imagine these two women? Mary is a young teenager who is pledged to be married and is a virgin. We don’t think too much in this day and age about young people becoming pregnant prior to marriage. But in Mary’s time that just was not done. It was against all of the cultural mores of the time. And it was not concerned a proper thing for a Jew to do either. Her pregnancy was against both the culture and the religion of the time since it was out of wedlock.

When she was told she was going to have a son and that the Holy Spirit was going to impregnate her, she did not yell and scream. Mary asked how this was going to happen. She was told, and she then accepted God’s will for her. She know that she would disgrace her husband…if he would have her. God helped her with that situation. But she purely and simply said, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.”

Elizabeth was a much older woman who had been barren throughout her marriage to Zechariah. She had been embarrassed and disgraced because she did not have a child. And lo and behold, she was pregnant as well. Mary went to Elizabeth who recognized Mary’s special stature among women. And then I would guess they had many good long chats over the three month period Mary was with Elizabeth. They were both blessed with special sons.

These are true women of God. We would all do well to follow the examples which they have so admirably set for us.

Carol

Bible Breath: Let it be / As God has said

Moses Disobeyed.

Numbers 19:1-20:29

I tend to think of Moses as a man who did God’s will. I know that he was raised in the Pharaoh’s household. I know that he killed a man who was harming a Jew. Moses then left and went into the desert.

After 40 years God told Moses to go back and get the people and bring them out of Egypt. Moses didn’t want to do as God asked, but he did with Aaron’s help.

And so the people wandered in the wilderness, and they griped and groaned, got angry with Moses, wanted to return to Egypt, and didn’t trust God.

In fact they disobeyed God to the point that God said that not one of generation of adults who left Egypt would end up in the Promised Land. There were two exceptions that He specified; Joshua and Caleb.

They wandered for years, but not too long before they arrived in the Promised Land, they were wanting water again. Moses talked to God, and God told Moses to talk to the rock. Water would emerge. In his frustration, Moses hit the rock. The water came out. But Moses disobeyed God, and he was not allowed in the Promised Land.

I think Moses’ punishment was extreme. Just consider all the things he had done correctly in getting the people where they were. But he disobeyed…and was not allowed in the Promised Land.

You think that is just a story? I used to think so. Poor Moses. But Moses and I, and you as well, are called upon to obey God…period. And we are not to question which I find very difficult to do. I am a curious person, and I always want to know why. I find obeying very difficult when anyone says, “Because I said so,” and that applies to God as well.

And I doubt that I am alone in my disobedience. We like to think we are obeying Him, but I think we are kidding ourselves. We say, “We will try to obey God,” and that is what we end up doing…trying. What if we said, “We will obey God.” Do you think it would make a difference? I do. When we try, we give ourselves an out. When we say, “We will,” we have made a commitment.

As we come upon Easter, let us all make the commitment to obey God. It will be difficult…but I think we can all do better than we are now. At least, I know that I have lots of room for improvement.

Carol

Bible Breath: Trust the Lord / Keep Him Holy

The Women

Mark 16:1-8

The disciples ran away at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion. The women in Jesus’ life stayed. I would think that they could have been in as much danger as the disciples, but they stayed.

As I said before, I would have been long gone. But the women came to the tomb to do the honorable thing which was to anoint Jesus’ body. They were unable to anoint him when he was first placed in the tomb because it was the evening of the Sabbath. But they came when they could, and even on the third day the men were nowhere to be found.

Throughout his life Jesus treated women as equals. It is a wonderful part of the story to me. It has taken the some of the rest of the world 2000+ years to catch up to him…and we really aren’t there yet.

All through Mark Jesus has told the apostles and the disciples that he would rise from the dead. No matter what kind of miracles he performed…even raising Lazarus from the dead, nobody seemed to believe that Jesus was going to be resurrected. And if the people were familiar with the Hebrew Bible, they knew that Elijah raised a woman’s son from the dead. I Kings 17:17-24.

But today we are the same. If we don’t see something happen, it is difficult for us to believe it has happened. That is why faith is so important for all of us. The Samaritan woman believed because she saw. We read the Bible, our book of faith, and are required to step out and believe on faith alone.

If we can do that, we will experience joy like we have never experienced before. I am not talking about happiness. Happiness and joy are two very different things. Joy lives within us. Happiness comes and goes and is dependent upon various situations in our lives. But the joy lives deep within us.

For much of my life I did not have that joy. I do now. It is wonderful. I have been blessed.

Carol

PS In my Bible it says that “the most reliable manuscripts and other ancient witnesses do not have Mark 16:9-20.” I just noticed that this time through this scripture.

Bible Breath: He has risen / He is not here

Were You There When They Crucified, My Lord?

Mark 15

Were you there when the Roman soldiers were crucifying Jesus? If you were there, what did you do? Did you leave; did you pray; did you demand his release; did you yell, “Crucify Him,” along with the crowd;” or were you afraid to do anything at all? Did you understand what was happening? Did you know who Jesus was?

We all have those kinds of options. We read the words again and again. But put yourself in Jesus shoes. People mocked him. Many of us take offense at the smallest criticism another person makes which does not come close to mocking.

Have you as a child been switched on your legs when you were naughty? Hurt, didn’t it? Can you imagine having your clothes stripped off and being flogged with a cat-o’-nine tails with metal at the end of each of the nine cords. The marks they make on a person’s back are sometimes called stripes…as in “By his (Jesus) stripes, we are healed.”

And then to make matters worse, the soldiers made a crown of thorns and jammed it on Jesus’ head. You can believe that “the crown” was not gently placed on his head. Do you know how big, sharp, long, and ugly thorns can be? Jesus’ crown was made of big, nasty thorns which would tear his scalp.

It is hard for us to grasp the torture and abuse Jesus went through to save us. Just think. He could have said, “No.” Jesus also had free-will. But he went through the crucifixion to save us from ourselves and to bring us to the Kingdom of God.

I do not know what I would have done at the time of the crucifixion. I would like to think I would be a brave soul and stand up for Jesus…even if it would have meant my downfall or death as well. But I cannot imagine that I would have done so if I am really honest about it. I am not a very brave person.

To have stood up with Jesus at the time of his trial and crucifixion would have taken some brave souls. I think I would have done as the disciples did. I would have run away.

But Jesus is “crucified” all the time…even now. We have the opportunities of standing with Jesus every day. I am found wanting. How are the rest of you doing?

Carol

Bible Breath: He died for us / Live for Him

Peter Wept.

Mark 14:53-72

Can you imagine such a strong, vital and faithful servant of Jesus weeping? When I see that rugged fisherman, I don’t think of Peter as a person who weeps…cries buckets of tears maybe, but I don’t picture him as weeping. It just doesn’t sound quite right, does it?

We know that Jesus wept. However, the circumstances were quite different. Jesus wept because his friend Lazarus had died, and Mary and Mary were in distress. He wept because he was sad.

Peter is a different story. In Mark 14: 29-31 “Peter declared [to Jesus], ‘Even if all fall away, I will not.’ ‘I tell you the truth’, Jesus answered, ‘today…yes, tonight…before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.’

But Peter insisted emphatically, ‘Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.’ And all the others said the same.”

I feel certain that many of us have said that we would not disown Jesus. But I think we do so all the time. And I think perhaps we deny him by omission as much as by commission. We have ample opportunity in our daily lives to stand by/with/beside/for Jesus in our relationships with friends, acquaintances, and strangers as well.

But do we take advantage of those opportunities? I don’t think so. How often do you hear people standing up for Christ? If we are not standing up for him, we are denying Him.

I know I have done that very thing…and I am not at all proud of it. I didn’t realize how often I denied Jesus until recently. But I have backed away from discussions of our Lord. I have neglected to praise him. I have kept my mouth shut about his glory and the glory of God. In doing so I deny him. If we are not for Jesus, we are denying him. There is no gray area.

I understand why Peter wept after realizing that he had denied Jesus three times. He said he would follow Jesus anywhere, and many of us say the same. We generally are not in physical danger as Peter was when he denied Christ. But he understood that Jesus not only predicted but knew of his denial, and Peter wept. If we would have been in Peter’s shoes at the time, we undoubtedly would have wept too. It was upon Peter that Jesus was building the church.

Today Jesus is building the church upon us. We either accept that challenge of building the body of Christ, of fulfilling the Great Commission…or we do nothing and in doing so, we deny Christ.

Carol

Bible Breath: I will never / Disown You

Is it I, Lord?

Mark 14:1-21

Here we are with Jesus at Passover. He and the disciples are having what we now call the Last Supper. Much to the disciples’ surprise Jesus says that one of them will betray Him.

Can you imagine what that would have felt like? Each of the men except for one must have felt as if he had been smacked in the head. Jesus had chosen these men…they learned from Him, they taught, they learned some more, they followed Him…and one of them was going to betray Jesus?

Does that sound right to you? It doesn’t sound right to me. Why would a person do such a thing?

I know that I wouldn’t nor would you, I feel certain, But, you know what? Every time we are unkind, gossip, cuss, swear, ignore people, let people go hungry…a multitude of things…we betray Jesus.

Not so long ago a person asked if she could visit me. I do not love this person sufficiently because I made every excuse a person could possibly make for her not to visit. She did come to my home, but she called me from outside my apartment and said she had something for me…but that she would not come inside the door. I said okay begrudgingly.

She came to the door, did not come in, but handed me a card in a bright red envelope. It was a valentine. Never before had I received a valentine from her. Besides that, there was some money in it…and I had been praying for a small amount of money to give to a good cause.

That day, among others, I betrayed Jesus. Lord, it was I.

Carol

Bible Breath: Grant me mercy / A sinner