Tuesday, March 1, 2005
The Venerable David, Bishop of Menevia in Wales
Kellia: 1 Kings 14:36-46 LXX Epistle: 1 John 3:9-22 Gospel: St Mark 14:10-42
St. Mark 14:10-42, especially vs. 38: "Watch and pray, lest
you enter into temptation." Under guidance by the Holy Spirit, the Church assigns the present series of daily readings from
St. Mark's Gospel as preparation for Great Lent. Two weeks ago, as we began the Triodion leading up to Great Lent, to
help us repent, the lessons from St. Mark described the conflicts the Lord Jesus encountered with the religious authorities
who "...sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude..." (Mk.12:12). Last week, before the Sunday of the Prodigal
Son, the readings were from a series of the Lord's prophecies concerning the last judgment (St. Mark 13). These were
filled with similar cautions to "...watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is" (Mk.13:33).
This week, the Gospel passages are from St. Mark's Passion narrative (Mk.11,14,15). These readings invite us to reflect on
the Lord Jesus' Passion for our sake. Notice: before the Great Fast, the Church calls upon us to meditate upon the
sufferings and death whereby Christ our God has given unto us life and immortality. Much later, during Great and Holy
Week, at the end of the Great Fast, the readings will be Passion accounts from the other Gospels. Thus, the sufferings of
our Savior are set before us to frame our Lenten journey.
Today's Gospel reading places six real-life choices before us, decisions one might face on any given day: choices to betray,
obey, follow, protect one's self, desert, or suffer with Christ. Judas, who betrayed the Lord, was one of the Twelve (vs.
10). He deliberately chose to approach the chief priests in order to betray the Lord. This choice - to seek out the authorities
- was his personal decision; the religious leaders did not come to him (vs. 10). Incredibly, Judas choose to cooperate with
the Lord's enemies! Yes, and the same choice is available to each of us every day. We may betray Christ in so many
different ways: by compromising His truth, by deserting Him, by acts of petty self-interest, or by mindless, plain
carelessness.
The inverse of betrayal is obedience. We may respond appropriately to the Lord's will, remaining Christ's faithful
disciples. At His bidding, two other of His disciples "...went out and came into the city, and found it just as He had said to
them; and...they prepared the Passover" (vs. 16). Opportunities of this sort fill every day of life. We may do the Lord's
work as He wills if we will follow His directions. In what moment is the choice of obeying Christ not present?
To follow the Lord, we need to remain close to Him. Notice in today's reading: when the Supper ended, and "...when they
had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives" (vs. 26). Wandering off and "doing our own thing" are available
choices. However, those who would meet Him in the Resurrection followed Him even as the clouds of suffering and death
gathered.
At the Supper, the Lord told all the disciples, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me..." (vs. 27). Sooner or
later every disciple of the Lord fails Him through "self interest." Were it not for the Cross and His forgiveness, for His
Resurrection, and for the Gift of the Spirit, we would all fail our gracious Lord and live permanently in despair. Save us, O
Savior!
Like St. Peter, we prefer to think of ourselves as those who would never flee from Christ for any reason (vss. 29,31), yet we
make little compromises and evasions and do forsake Him (Mk. 14:50). We protect a false "self" when we run away from
the Cross, yet He is our true self!
Finally, there is the possibility of suffering with Christ and for Him. Yes, that night in the garden, He said, " Rise, let us be
going. See, My betrayer is at hand" (vs. 42). But notice: those who did flee then, thereafter met Him risen and alive, chose
His salvation, and embraced death.
O Christ our Salvation, Who didst suffer in pity for mankind, save us who cry to Thee.
