Lenten meditation 2017

Tuesday of Holy Week

Reading 1 Is 49:1-6
Gospel Jn 13:21-33, 36-38

Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, Yet my reward is with the LORD, my recompense is with my God.

Meditation:
"Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled..." As we continue to insert ourselves into the story imagine this: at the beginning of today's Gospel we hear Jesus saying "one of you will betray me" and at the end he says "Will you lay down your life for me? Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times" and juxtaposed between the beginning and the end; "Now none of those reclining at table realized why he said this to him" (to Judas). An oblivious group indeed.

Because of this that Jesus was 'deeply troubled' and the words of the prophet Isaiah in the first reading take on dire significance: "Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, Yet my reward is with the LORD, my recompense is with my God." Was it worth it?

There are times when in our Christian walk and ministry a sense of futility creeps in and we ask "what for?" People can be ungrateful, seemingly oblivious to all we do. If we're looking for glory in the eyes of men...well good luck with that.

But even at the end Jesus teaches so pay attention: "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him at once." His words echo the prophet Isaiah: " Yet my reward is with the LORD, my recompense is with my God."

Our works are to glorify God not other men and not ourselves and if our heart is aligned with this then God will glorify us. So to God be the glory. TGBTG. Always.
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Peace.