Readings for Wednesday of Holy Week[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Isaiah 50:4-9a
This is the third of the four “Servant of the Lord” oracles from Isaiah. These four comprise the “Suffering Servant” that is the prophetic vision of the Messiah describing the humble ministry of Christ.
In this passage the prophet describes his mission to “…speak to the weary a word that will rouse them.” The “weary” are those born down by oppression and the “Word” that will rouse them is hope in God. In doing this he has incurred the wrath of the powerful, the oppressors but he is steadfast in is mission as his faith in God sustains him, in spite of the persecution he suffers.
We head this same reading on Passion Sunday just four days ago. It sets the tone for what begins tomorrow evening with the Feast of the Lord’s Supper.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 69:8-10, 21-22, 31 and 33-34
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
This selection is an individual lament, again drawing heavily on the image of the faithful servant who suffers but remains dedicated to God’s law and works. Even in the face of this intense social embarrassment, the psalmist must be faithful because “…because zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.” The imagery in this song forces us to look forward to the passion as Christ’s punishment is prophetically envisioned.
Gospel Matthew 26:14-25
We break away from St. John’s account and today hear Judas striking the bargain with members of the Sanhedrin. The thirty pieces of silver is reminiscent of the price paid for the shepherd of the flock to be slaughtered in Zechariah (Zechariah 11:12).
We then hear Matthew’s account of the story we heard yesterday. Jesus again tells the disciples that one of them will betray him. This time Judas, who has already struck a deal to turn him over to his enemies, answers, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?”
Reflection:
Avarice and his own misguided view of what the “Royal Messiah” should be have overcome Judas and he strikes a deal with the Sanhedrin. How difficult it must have been for him to go to recline at table with Jesus, knowing what he was about to do. He is like a child who has done something wrong. He is too quick to jump when the subject of his next action is brought up by Jesus.
We must wonder if this is for our benefit. Judas was so obvious. The Lord told all of his closest friends; “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” The Gospel says they started arguing, saying one after the other, “Surely it is not I, Lord?” Note the question mark. Were they all thinking they could betray the Son of God? Was the Lord’s hold on them so tenuous that at any moment they worried they might fall away? Or was it perhaps that they misunderstood? There are many ways, as we all know, to betray the Savior of the World.
Perhaps we should focus on Judas again. His turn came and like the others he said, “Surely it is not I, Lord?” to which the Lord responded. “You have said so.”
In the next moment the mystery was solved as we are told Judas left the celebration. He did not sneak out, he left. In St. John’s Gospel yesterday the Apostle said they assumed he was going out to get more food or on some errand of charity. Did all of the disciples think so? Did none of them suspect the depth to which one of their own had sunk? Why didn’t someone stop him?
The question is actually amusing. In reflecting on that moment in the upper room, we get caught up in events that took place two thousand years ago and were prophesied long before that. Judas had to betray the Lord – he stood in the place of the advisors to Pharaoh who sent his army to destroy the Hebrews as they fled through the Red Sea. He cheered the golden calf while Moses was receiving the Law. He plotted against Jeremiah and against Isaiah. His act was the most predictable part of the whole Jesus story.
For us, even as some cord deep within us hopes that Jesus will somehow escape the plot, we pray more deeply that we have so conformed ourselves to the Lord that we could not be tempted to violation of the love of the Lord that Judas now violates. We pray that, through our faithful service and love of one another, we will stand with the “disciple whom Jesus loved” at the foot of his cross. We take a breath as tomorrow we plunge into the Garden.
Pax
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Isaiah 50:4-9a
This is the third of the four “Servant of the Lord” oracles from Isaiah. These four comprise the “Suffering Servant” that is the prophetic vision of the Messiah describing the humble ministry of Christ.
In this passage the prophet describes his mission to “…speak to the weary a word that will rouse them.” The “weary” are those born down by oppression and the “Word” that will rouse them is hope in God. In doing this he has incurred the wrath of the powerful, the oppressors but he is steadfast in is mission as his faith in God sustains him, in spite of the persecution he suffers.
We head this same reading on Passion Sunday just four days ago. It sets the tone for what begins tomorrow evening with the Feast of the Lord’s Supper.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 69:8-10, 21-22, 31 and 33-34
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
This selection is an individual lament, again drawing heavily on the image of the faithful servant who suffers but remains dedicated to God’s law and works. Even in the face of this intense social embarrassment, the psalmist must be faithful because “…because zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.” The imagery in this song forces us to look forward to the passion as Christ’s punishment is prophetically envisioned.
Gospel Matthew 26:14-25
We break away from St. John’s account and today hear Judas striking the bargain with members of the Sanhedrin. The thirty pieces of silver is reminiscent of the price paid for the shepherd of the flock to be slaughtered in Zechariah (Zechariah 11:12).
We then hear Matthew’s account of the story we heard yesterday. Jesus again tells the disciples that one of them will betray him. This time Judas, who has already struck a deal to turn him over to his enemies, answers, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?”
Reflection:
Avarice and his own misguided view of what the “Royal Messiah” should be have overcome Judas and he strikes a deal with the Sanhedrin. How difficult it must have been for him to go to recline at table with Jesus, knowing what he was about to do. He is like a child who has done something wrong. He is too quick to jump when the subject of his next action is brought up by Jesus.
We must wonder if this is for our benefit. Judas was so obvious. The Lord told all of his closest friends; “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” The Gospel says they started arguing, saying one after the other, “Surely it is not I, Lord?” Note the question mark. Were they all thinking they could betray the Son of God? Was the Lord’s hold on them so tenuous that at any moment they worried they might fall away? Or was it perhaps that they misunderstood? There are many ways, as we all know, to betray the Savior of the World.
Perhaps we should focus on Judas again. His turn came and like the others he said, “Surely it is not I, Lord?” to which the Lord responded. “You have said so.”
In the next moment the mystery was solved as we are told Judas left the celebration. He did not sneak out, he left. In St. John’s Gospel yesterday the Apostle said they assumed he was going out to get more food or on some errand of charity. Did all of the disciples think so? Did none of them suspect the depth to which one of their own had sunk? Why didn’t someone stop him?
The question is actually amusing. In reflecting on that moment in the upper room, we get caught up in events that took place two thousand years ago and were prophesied long before that. Judas had to betray the Lord – he stood in the place of the advisors to Pharaoh who sent his army to destroy the Hebrews as they fled through the Red Sea. He cheered the golden calf while Moses was receiving the Law. He plotted against Jeremiah and against Isaiah. His act was the most predictable part of the whole Jesus story.
For us, even as some cord deep within us hopes that Jesus will somehow escape the plot, we pray more deeply that we have so conformed ourselves to the Lord that we could not be tempted to violation of the love of the Lord that Judas now violates. We pray that, through our faithful service and love of one another, we will stand with the “disciple whom Jesus loved” at the foot of his cross. We take a breath as tomorrow we plunge into the Garden.
Pax
Please Pray for Esther
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