(Blessed are you Who Understand) by Beth DeCristofaro

(Blessed are you Who Understand) by Beth DeCristofaro

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter

 (Paul said) Then (God) removed him and raised up David as their king; of him he testified, I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will carry out my every wish. From this man's descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus. John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel; and as John was completing his course, he would say, 'What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.'"  (Acts 13:22-25)

When Jesus had washed the disciples' feet, he said to them: "Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it. I am not speaking of all of you. I know those whom I have chosen. But so that the Scripture might be fulfilled. The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me. (John 13:16-18)

Piety

May God give us the grace to follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit in courage and trust, through Christ, who remained faithful unto death and is risen in glory.  Amen.         (Evening Prayer for the Day)

Study

no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him So many Scripture stories reflect Jesus’ words, even though his main message here was about himself, lesser yet obedient and adoring of his Father.  Scripture describes Saul, David and Paul who indeed were lesser and flawed.  In life we have abundant examples including ourselves.  Yet we were called and chosen as were Saul, David and Paul.  Sacred history shows us how they rose to the occasion.  How we will is yet to be completed.  How we are to get there Jesus shows us.  He washes his disciples’ feet.  He serves. 

Would it be theologically challenging to wonder if Judas had not despaired of his sin?  Might he also have been remembered in a different way than despairing betrayer?  After all, Jesus said of him: But so that the Scripture might be fulfilled. The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me. If he had repented as John the Baptist proclaimed might he, too, twisted and aberrant as his actions were, also have found forgiveness?  Might his “service” to God be famous rather than infamous.

The author and poet Alice Walker says “In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they're still beautiful”.  Her words strike me as the way God sees me.  There is still a little (a lot?) of work to do so that I follow Jesus’ path to the light of God rather than my own crooked, aimless wanderings. Yet God loves me, child of God’s creation, in spite of myself.  In serving and accepting that I am lesser yet loved, my crookedness becomes beautiful.  

Action

How am I crooked or twisted as a chosen beloved?  How might I see and radiate the beauty of my life to others?

Illustration:

Wind-distorted tree growing from roadside grass
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Trevor Littlewood - geograph.org.uk/p/2213835

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2213835