Sweet Injuries: Maundy Thursday

Here we are! Today is Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday. It is the day when we remember the Lord’s Supper, on the very night when Jesus experienced such deep and wide separation from His Twelve, those whom He had chosen and called to follow Him and be with Him. These were the closest earthly people to Him at present. They were His friends, His students, His workfellows, His companions. These were the people whom He chose to celebrate Passover with, the ones to whom He gave His Body and Blood.

Will you listen and receive? Look carefully and tell me why, what did Jesus do in these actions of His, to bring such enemy behaviour from His own, against Him?

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, Take, eat; this is My body. Then He took the cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink from it all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Matthew 26: 26 – 28.

Yet they all rose against Him in some form or fashion, from disregard, to betrayal, to denial, to desertion; they all rose against their Master.

Sweet injuries! Yet they at these themselves displease, And ‘gainst Him rise.

Sweet Injury! Today, in Gethsemane, the Garden of Prayer, Jesus took with Him Peter, James and John, to pray. Here, Jesus is totally disregarded by them as He asks them to, Stay here and watch with Me. Matthew 26: 38b. However, they simply could not keep awake and disregarded all that Jesus wanted them to do. Jesus said to them, Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Matthew 26: 45b.

What is our state in this time? Are we sleeping, or are we awake to Jesus and His requests of us?

Sweet Injury! Today, in the Garden of Prayer, one of Jesus’ disciples betrays Him. Had not Jesus spoken it out clearly, when He announced this on that very evening? See, he who betrays Me is at hand. Matthew 26: 45.  Judas, leading a multitude with swords and clubs from the chief priests and elders of the people, gave Jesus’ identity away, with a kiss.

What is our mission, as we come close to the end of this walk? Are we kissing Jesus to befriend Him, or are we kissing Him to betray Him?

Sweet Injury! Today, as Jesus is removed from the place of prayer and taken captive, all His other disciples, all eleven of them, desert Him. He is in trouble and they run away, forsaking Him. Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled. Matthew 26: 56b.

What is the depth of our love for Jesus, as the road becomes extremely dangerous?

Sweet Injury! Today, as Gethsemane is no more and Jesus is led to the Great assembly of Caiaphas the high priest, and all the auspicious gathering of holy men, Peter has been recognized as one who has been with Jesus. So taken prisoner has he become, he vehemently denies even knowing Jesus. Then he began to curse and swear saying, I do not know the Man! And immediately a rooster crowed. Matthew 26: 74. 

In the midst of personal danger, what is your testimony of Jesus?  Are we in any way guilty of disregarding, betraying, deserting, or denying Him?

Why, what hath my Lord done?

What makes this rage and spite?

He made the lame to run, He gave the blind their sight.

Sweet injuries! Yet they at these themselves displease,

And ‘gainst Him rise.

As we stand on the day before Good Friday, may repentance and rejoicing; bitterness and sweetness; darkness and light; through the Holy Spirit, bring us to Crucifixion and Resurrection with our Jesus.