Isaiah 50:4-9a, Psalm 69:8-10, 21-22, 31 & 33-34, Matthew 26:14-25

                                   PASSION WEEK 

37th Day in Lent
 Remember I love you. Stay close to Me and I will teach you, I will lead you.  Do not chase after human love or respect, make no compromises on the demands that love makes. 
Strive for perfection, seek holiness and abide in Me.

Isaiah 4:5c-6

 For the Glory of the Lord will be a canopy and a pavilion for all, 6 a shade from the scorching heat by day, a refuge from the storm and rain. 

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 Isaiah 50:4-9a, Psalm 69:8-10, 21-22, 31 & 33-34, Matthew 26:14-25

  http://www.bibleclaret.org/bibles/english.htm

Isaiah 50:4-9a

My Beloved, it is amazing how clearly Isaiah has foretold all that would take place - beginning with God's awesome plan in sending us a Messiah, to Your life, Your work, Your power, Your ultimate rejection by Your enemies, the way You would die.  He foretold how God would use every scintilla of suffering to save and redeem our fallen world and restore it to grace by Your Passion, Death and glorious Resurrection.  Words are  not enough to say thank You, a life lived in praise and loving obedience and submission to Your will is what will please You most.

Psalm 69:8-10, 21-22, 31 & 33-34

The psalms also foretell in detail what Your enemies will do to You.  Those who would lift their heel against You, strike You, give You vinegar and gall for drink.  There would be none to comfort You except Your Mother.  None who would remain steadfast except she, the beloved disciple John and Mary Magdalene.  Utterly rejected by Your own, You tasted the bitter cup of suffering and drank it to the dregs. Thank You for revealing to us that God did not hold back but paid to the full the price of our redemption.

That God should think us, His faithless people worth such a price boggles the mind and that You should submit to it all for love of Him teaches us how we ought to love in return.

Matthew 26:14-25

The world continues to put a paltry price on You - they sell You out as Esau sold his inheritance for a meal.  How bizarre! But are we any different?  We are prepared to satisfy a short term need and greed in exchange for the loss of our soul.

Every one of the disciples wondered aloud if it was he who would betray You. Did they perhaps wonder if in a moment of weakness they would be capable of such a heinous crime despite their love for You?  

My Beloved You know us and You know how weak we are.  You also know the length our wickedness will take us. It took Judas to the abyss and that is why You say, it would have been better if he had not been born.  Despite every gesture of love and every opportunity for repentance was given to him in perfect friendship, he rejected all for a pittance of 30 pieces of silver.  When reason finally dawned and he saw how utterly heinous was his sin and how grievously he had betrayed You - each of those 30 pieces of silver became a millstone around his neck.  He despaired, mistakenly believing that his sin was too grave and beyond Your desire or ability to forgive.