Prepare to Listen.  Pray with Jesus and with those who suffer today: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?  (Psalm 22:1)
 
Prayerfully Read Luke 23:44-49
44It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two.  46Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’  Having said this, he breathed his last. 47When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, ‘Certainly this man was innocent.’  
48And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts.  49But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
 
Prayerfully Wonder
Jesus died and the Roman centurion guarding the cross, to whom Jesus was just another criminal, turned his face upward, and he saw God.  Perhaps for the first time in his life he burst out in praise to the God he saw.
 
Jesus died and the crowd that came to watch a “spectacle,” perhaps with their picnic baskets and games, turned their faces inward, and they saw themselves.  They changed their minds about Jesus and what they had done to support his death.  They went home beating their breasts, a sign of repentance. 
 
Jesus died and the women who’d made the long journey from Galilee and remained close to Jesus, turned their faces outward, they saw Jesus dead on a cross.  They stood at a distance and watched.  Were they praying for a miracle?  Longing to take done the body and prepare Jesus for burial?  Because they watched, they got their chance to be heroic and compassionate (as we’ll read tomorrow).
 
Jesus died, and the male disciples were nowhere to be seen.  They looked neither upward, inward nor outward.  They saw nothing.
 
Prayerfully Reflect
Imagine the scene and determine where you’d be and what you’d see.
 
Respond to Jesus
Lord Jesus, your death had immediate effects on very different people as they saw truth they’d been ignoring for too long.  Help me today be open to you as I practice looking upward, inward and outward.  Amen.
 
Live obediently.  Look upward, inward and outward today.

Prepare to Listen.  In your silence, offer this prayer: Be pleased, O God, to deliver me.  O LORD, make haste to help me!
 
Prayerfully Read Luke 23:26-31
26As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus.  27A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him.  28But Jesus turned to them and said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.  29For the days are surely coming when they will say, “Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.”  30Then they will begin to say to the mountains, “Fall on us”; and to the hills, “Cover us.”  31For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?’
 
Prayerfully Wonder
Accompanying Jesus to the cross were strangers, Simon of Cyrene, a great number of unidentified people, and Jerusalem women mourners.  Noticeably absent were his disciples.  Simon, in the wrong place at the wrong time, was seized by they, also unidentified, who “made him” carry the cross behind Jesus.  They unwittingly put Simon in the position of a true disciple of Jesus, who said, “If any want to become my followers, let them… take up their cross daily and follow me” (Lk 9:23).
 
The great number of people is undefined.  Were they supporters of Jesus or supporters of those who condemned him?  Only the women, whom Jesus called “daughters of Jerusalem,” mourned in a traditional loud, boisterous manner.  Jesus heard and, putting aside his pain, he turned and comforted them.  He also warned what was to come—desolation and unbearable suffering.  He then gave an “upside-down beatitude”[1] for those ordinarily considered cursed.  Things will be so bad that the childless women will, for once, be blessed.
 
It’s not a blessing anyone would choose since it meant unbelievable suffering.  But here’s the thing, we can’t avoid suffering.  We may not experience much today, but the people of Ukraine are, and I wonder what Jesus would say to them.  I can’t stop the Russian attack, but I can mourn with the Ukrainians and pray for them and for the end of the conflict.  Jesus would put aside his own pain to comfort them too.
 
Prayerfully Reflect
What emotion do Jesus’ words and actions evoke in you?
 
Respond to Jesus
Lord Jesus as you made the painful journey to the cross you had time for the women mourners, and the love to comfort them.  I pray today for those suffering anguish that they may know your love and comfort.  Amen.
 
Live obediently.  Stand with the suffering today, even if only in prayer.
[1] Wright, N. T.  Luke for Everyone.  Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.  2001, p. 283.

Prepare to Listen.  In your silence, offer this prayer: Be pleased, O God, to deliver me.  O LORD, make haste to help me!
 
Prayerfully Read Luke 22:39-46
39He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. 40When he reached the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.’ 41Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, 42‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.’  [[43Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength.  44In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.]]  45When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, 46and he said to them, ‘Why are you sleeping?  Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.’
 
Prayerfully Wonder
If we only had Luke’s version of Jesus’ prayer, we’d never sing, “lest I forget Gethsemane.”  Matthew and Mark name it but Luke simply calls it the place.  We also might never sing the next line of that hymn, “lest I forget thine agony.”  Unlike Matthew and Mark, Luke doesn’t focus on Jesus’ agony.  The two verses (43-44) about angels and bloody sweat aren’t in some of the reliable ancient manuscripts (hence the brackets) and without them, Jesus appears calm, controlled.  He “knelt down, and prayed” and when done, he got up and returned to the disciples. [1]
 
Luke’s focus isn't on Jesus' agony.  It's on prayer.  He begins and ends with Jesus’ exhortation, “Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.”  The second time, adding, “Get up and pray.”  Prayer is also at the center of the story, Jesus’ prayer to the Father that this cup" be removed.  The trial was imminent, Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion, and, since it was common to arrest the leader’s associates, the disciples were also in danger.  There was also the greater trial of the clash between Jesus and the forces of the satan and evil so that God’s kingdom, our redemption “would emerge on the other side.”[2]  Pray, said Jesus, that you may not come into this trial.
 
Luke’s focus on prayer reminds us of the urgency to pray, to get up (be disciplined) and pray.  Every day we’re bombarded with trials and temptations that will lead us away from Jesus and his way of truth and love.  Prayer, in words or silence, keeps us in the presence of God, and thus will keep us faithful.  Get up, therefore, and pray for yourself and for the Church around the world.
 
Prayerfully Reflect
What challenged you in this passage today?
 
Respond to Jesus
For all those today who are experiencing serious trials, Lord in your mercy keep them.  Amen.
 
Live obediently.  Get up and pray.
[1] Read the passage again without vv. 43-44 and you’ll see the lack of emphasis on Jesus’ agony.
[2] Wright, N. T.  Luke for Everyone.  Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.  2001, p. 270.

Prepare to Listen.  In your silence, offer this prayer: Be pleased, O God, to deliver me.  O LORD, make haste to help me!
 
Prayerfully Read Luke 22:14-23
14When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him.  15He said to them, ‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’  17Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, ‘Take this and divide it among yourselves; 18for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’  19Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you.  Do this in remembrance of me.’ 20And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.  21But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. 22For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!’  23Then they began to ask one another which one of them it could be who would do this.
 
Prayerfully Wonder
The cup, “poured out for you,” a seal of the new covenant, Jesus said.  And this is where we could expect the disciples to ask questions, the kind we’d love to ask.  But, without skipping a beat Jesus warns, “the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table.”  Only Luke places this warning at the end of the meal, after the disciples had partaken of Christ’s body and blood.  The meal was sombre—his body broken, his blood poured out; yet also triumphant--for you.  His suffering and death, Jesus’ claimed, would not be a waste, but the seal of the new covenant, the triumph of good over evil.  Then the tone changed, as Jesus warned of a betrayer among them, one who’d already taken what Jesus offered, eaten his body and blood.  Yet he’d deliver Jesus to the enemy, violating the new covenant to which he’d just pledged his allegiance with the other disciples.
 
Jesus knew what Judas planned but made no attempt to stop him.  More remarkable, he showed no anger towards him but spoke with compassion as he warned Judas, “For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!”  He didn’t even name Judas, leaving all the disciples wondering who would do this.  “The blend of celebration and betrayal in the scene at the supper is preparing us for the blend of triumph and tragedy in the crucifixion itself.”[1]  But the love of Jesus remained deep and included Judas, his betrayer.
 
Prayerfully Reflect
What caught your attention in Luke’s account of the Last Supper?
 
Respond to Jesus
Help me, Lord Jesus to live today fully alert to the truth that what you did on the cross was for me and for the world so that I live with the compassion you had even for your betrayer.  Amen.
 
Live obediently.  Jesus did what he did for you.
[1] Wright, N.T.  Luke for Everyone.  2001, p. 263.

Prepare to Listen.  In your silence, offer this prayer: Be pleased, O God, to deliver me.  O LORD, make haste to help me!  (Psalm 70:1)
 
Prayerfully Read Luke 22:7-13
7Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.  8So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, ‘Go and prepare the Passover meal for us that we may eat it.’  9They asked him, ‘Where do you want us to make preparations for it?’  10‘Listen,’ he said to them, ‘when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house he enters 11and say to the owner of the house, “The teacher asks you, ‘Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’”  12He will show you a large room upstairs, already furnished.  Make preparations for us there.’  13So they went and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.
 
Prayerfully Wonder
The word prepare, in its various forms, appears four times in these verses.  I suspect when Peter and John signed up to follow Jesus, they never anticipated being sent to do something as ordinary as meal preparation.  True, it was for a special meal, Passover, but meal preparation is meal preparation and usually a lot more work on special occasions.  And since Passover was a family meal, there was usually plenty of help.  But this time the disciples were far from family.  Jesus sent just two of them to prepare the Passover meal.  They went.  Even though Jesus’ instructions were rather outlandish, to say the least, they went.  No argument.  No hesitation.
 
Following Jesus isn’t glamorous and all of us, men and women, are asked to engage in ordinary stuff, like meal preparation.  We may think we were called to more important tasks, or that our gender excludes us from such ordinary tasks, which is what the church has taught for too long, relegating women to the kitchen.  But we’re all called to live in humility and if that means meal preparation, then let’s do the preparation, no argument about our gender and no hesitation.
 
Prayerfully Reflect
What ordinary tasks can you help with today?
 
Respond to Jesus
Lord, forgive me when I think my call is above the ordinary tasks.  Help me serve you humbly, with whatever preparation is needed, however quotidian.  Amen.
 
Live obediently.  Humbly take up the ordinary tasks.

Prepare to Listen.  As we begin Holy Week, be still and reflect with these words: I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.  (Psalm 118:21)
 
Prayerfully Read Luke 22:1-6
Now the festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was near.  2The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Jesus to death, for they were afraid of the people.  3Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve; 4he went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers of the temple police about how he might betray him to them.  5They were greatly pleased and agreed to give him money.  6So he consented and began to look for an opportunity to betray him to them when no crowd was present.
 
Prayerfully Wonder
I debated ending Lent with this rather sinister passage.  After all, today is Palm Sunday, the conclusion to Lent and we’d all rather read again the story of Jesus’ humble ride into Jerusalem.  But I decided to stick with this odd passage because it alerts us to the evil in the background of Jesus’ last week.  The passage, after a brief introduction giving the date, is bookended by two similar verses.  In the first, “the chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Jesus to death, for they were afraid of the people.”  The story ends with Judas who began looking for a way to betray Jesus when the crowd wasn’t there.  In the middle is the sinister statement about evil that comes in the form of the satan who entered Judas, “one of the twelve.”  He knew Jesus well.
 
Luke doesn’t explain why the satan chose Judas or why Judas willingly became Jesus’ betrayer.  Through the ages, the Church has made varying suggestions, but the truth is we don’t know and never will.  Fred Craddock’s conclusion is, therefore, worth attention.  He writes, “There would be no value in attempting a new theory to explain Judas.  The church is at its best when it stops asking, ‘Why did Judas do it?’ and instead examines its own record of discipleship.”[1]  It’s not our task to judge Judas, but to live faithfully, in ways that don’t, even inadvertently, betray Jesus and his truth.
 
Prayerfully Reflect
We may never allow Satan to take us over the way Judas did, but we might betray him in other ways.  Take a few moments to think of your life and whether it leads people to or away from Jesus.
 
Respond to Jesus
Give me strength today, Jesus, to resist living in ways that betray or distort the truth of who you are.  Amen.
 
Live obediently.  Live the truth of Jesus and his Way.
[1] Craddock, Fred B.  Luke.  Louisville, KY. 1990, p. 253.

Prepare to Listen.  As you slow down, still your heart and mind with this prayer: See, I have longed for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life.
 
Prayerfully Read Luke 20:45-21:4
45In the hearing of all the people he said to the disciples, 46‘Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love to be greeted with respect in the market-places, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honour at banquets.  47They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers.  They will receive the greater condemnation.’
Ch. 21 1He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; 2he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins.  3He said, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; 4for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.’
 
Prayerfully Wonder
I’ve often heard the story of the poor widow told in ways that made me feel guilty about my giving.  She’s used as an example of generosity as the preacher concludes, “Give, until it hurts.”  But Jesus doesn’t use her as an example of giving and neither does he conclude with a demand to give sacrificially.  That’s a misuse of this story.
 
Luke has deliberately placed the widow’s story immediately after Jesus’ warning about the scribes.  Their ostentatious show of piety stands in contrast to the poor widow’s sacrificial giving.  And it’s the widow who comes up smelling like roses, not the scribes.  They devoured widows’ houses, perhaps demanding money to support their role as rabbi, and perhaps offering to pray long prayers for them if they did.  Jesus warned, “They will receive the greater condemnation.”
 
Jesus then looked up and saw people, rich and poor, putting money into the temple treasury.  Only one catches his attention and earns his praise, a poor widow.  Widows were the lowly, living on the fringes of society, ignored, abused even (their houses devoured by scribes).  They never expected commendation.  But that’s the only person Jesus singled out and praised.  Once again, Jesus did what he came to do—bring down the powerful and lift up the lowly.  I also hope he stuck his hand into the treasury and gave a handful of coins to this poor widow.
 
Prayerfully Reflect
What would you like Jesus to have done for the widow?  What would you do?
 
Respond to Jesus
Lord, you challenge us to think how we treat those less fortunate than ourselves.  Guard me from the ways of the scribes that harm the weak and vulnerable.  Like you, I want to stand on their side today.  Amen.
 
Live obediently.  Follow Jesus who stands with the vulnerable poor.