I can’t believe I’m going through a whole Lent without one meditation on Judas, who I believe drew the short stick, but that will have to be for another time. On this day, I want to talk about Peter and in fact the whole passion story. Last Sunday we processed with Palms, and then sit down and participate in the reading of the Passion. I admitted to Walter, I usually mumble when it comes to the congregation shouting “crucify him!” I can’t bring myself to do it, and since childhood wonder how the crowd did it two thousand years ago. But I digress.
I always thought we read the passion to remind us of a story long ago, but I was missing something. The Passion story is about us in the here and now. Not some story about being swallowed by a whale, but a story about us in the present. Like the parable of the prodigal son we see a little of us in the father and both sons. In the passion we see ourselves in Judas wanting God to be what we expect him to be. We see ourselves in Peter denying we follow God or we even know him. We see ourselves in the criminal who tells God, “if you’re so powerful save yourself,” like we cry out for God to end suffering and disasters. We see ourselves in the disciples who walked with God, talked with God, and were taught by God, but when things get tough forgot everything they learned and cringe in fear. The analogies go on and on.
So what do we do? The answer is found on the cross. Despite being betrayed, abandoned, tortured, etc. God forgives knowing “they know not what they do.” We are called to do the same to our enemies, our friends who abandon and betray, and most importantly ourselves.
Yet again, this is your best EVER. ‘God forgives knowing ‘they know not what they do.’
It’s so moving and speaks to me – what i needed so badly. Thank you