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Morning Devotion for Holy Week
Good Friday
March 29, 2024
The Invitatory
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.
Reading: John 13:36-38
Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, where are you going?’ Jesus answered, ‘Where I am going, you cannot follow me now; but you will follow afterwards.’ Peter said to him, ‘Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.’ Jesus answered, ‘Will you lay down your life for me? Very truly, I tell you, before the cock crows, you will have denied me three times.
Meditation: Jo Ann B. Jones
We are now in the midst of this dark, yet holy moment. There is no blame assigned or outright rejection of Judas nor care or concern for the consequences of Judas’ actions. Instead Jesus focuses on his mission and preparing his disciples for what is to come. He speaks of being glorified and of glorifying God, which in this Gospel is a reference to his being lifted on a cross. Then he tells his disciples in tender words (“little children”) that he will be with them only a little longer, and that where he is going, they cannot come.
Jesus also knows that Peter, one of his closest companions, will deny him not once, but three times. Nonetheless, his parting words to his disciples do not focus on blame for their past and future failures, but rather on preparing them for what is to come, promising that although he will no longer be physically present with them, they will not be abandoned.
Stepping into Good Friday, I have found that for years theses verses of Hymn 158 have captivated me:
Ah, Holy Jesus, how hast thou offended, that man to judge thee hath in hate pretended? By foes derided, by thine own rejected. O most afflicted.
Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon thee? Alas, my treason, Jesus hath undone thee. “Twas I, Lord Jesus. I it was denied thee. I crucified thee.
All too readily. I assumed responsibility and guilt for Jesus’ crucifixion, which appears to be an ongoing burden necessary to being a human being. It seems that constantly there are too many instances in daily life of committing some self-centered act or holding onto some thought or prejudice that would contribute to Jesus’ crucifixion. I am certain, though, that I am not alone. Nonetheless, the burden is real and inescapable. In the words of the Rite I Confession “the remembrance of them is grievous unto us, the burden of them is intolerable.” Fortunately, that Confession continues, “Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father…forgive us all that is past and grant that we may ever hereafter serve and please thee in newness of life….”
The challenge for us is to grasp and hold onto what Christ has done for us. His obedience to God arises from his unselfish love for all of God’s creation. He promises that we too might become more obedient as we fully appreciate and grasp the love Christ displays and as we are in communion with Christ. As imperfectly as we might display such love it is that love constitutes the essence of Christ’s gift to us. And so the Hymn concludes:
Therefore, kind Jesus, since I cannot pay thee, I do adore thee, and will ever pray thee, think on thy pity and thy love unswerving, not my deserving.
Prayer for Good Friday
Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross, who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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