The Citizen, 2019-04-18, Page 17THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2019. PAGE 17.
By Charmila Ireland
Melville Presbyterian Church
In John 13:21-30, Jesus foretold of
his betrayal.
Sitting in the upper room, Jesus is
troubled. This only happens three
times in the Gospel according to
John – when Lazarus died (11:33),
when He knew the glorification was
to come (12:27), and now. Sitting in
the upper room, sharing a meal with
His disciples, washing their feet and
breaking bread with them: the 12
that He chose, taught, nurtured,
loved.
Of course, the disciples don’t
know this is the Last Supper. To
them, it’s just another Passover
meal. But we know that it is more
than that. It is a pivotal moment on
the journey to the cross.
This is when Jesus announces that
He is going to be betrayed. When
Jesus tells Judas, the betrayer, He
tells him to do what he is about to do
quickly.
Jesus is troubled. Even though the
disciples don’t know what’s coming,
He does. He knows. Lest we think
He is accepting it with nonchalance
or apathy, we see here that He is
troubled: likely hurting.
I think it’s safe to say that we’ve
all experienced a betrayal in our
lives. At some point or another, a
child or a spouse has betrayed you in
a minor or major way. A co-worked
has thrown you under the bus, or a
so-called friend has convinced us to
buy into their latest get-rich scheme.
We’ve experienced these cuts, both
deep and shallow. So we can
imagine, even if only on a small
scale, how hurt Jesus must have been
to know that his friend was about to
turn on Him.
Yet, because Jesus is Jesus, His
reaction is not how we might react.
He definitely feels it – Judas was his
friend and follower for years, so
Jesus is not apathetic about this
betrayal – He is deeply troubled. But
because He’s Jesus, He is also filled
with love.
Even when He “outs” Judas as the
betrayer, He does it in a way that the
other disciples don’t really get at that
moment. He lets him leave in peace.
He gives him a sort of tragic
benediction – “What you are about
to do, do quickly.” I can picture
Jesus saying that with a very sad
smile on His face, and pain in His
heart.
Jesus was much like this on that
night. When He washed their feet,
He washed Judas’ too. When He
broke bread, He broke it with Judas
too. Judas was one of them; loved
and accepted completely. Perhaps
that is why the disciples didn’t
understand when Jesus indicated
that Judas would be the one to betray
Him. He was not an outsider. He was
loved. The other disciples are later
left wondering. Why? How did this
happen? How could he do this?
There is no good and definitive
answer to that. We don’t know
exactly why Judas did what he did.
We can’t see into his heart. We don’t
know why he turned his back on the
one who loved him so deeply.
What we do know is that Jesus
never turned His back on Judas.
Right up until the end, Judas was
with Him. Even knowing what was
about to happen. Even as He was
troubled because of it. Even then,
Jesus loved him. It is the sort of
endless love that never lets go; the
sort of love that epitomizes Easter.
For that is the nature of God. That
is the depth of God’s love. This is
proven again and again throughout
the Easter story. For God so loved
the world that God gave God’s only
son so that we might not perish but
have eternal life.
Throughout Holy Week we see the
love of Jesus in action. We see it at
this last supper, where He washes
the feet of His disciples; when He
quells the violence that threatened to
erupt at His arrest; when He faces
Pontius Pilate with dignity and
grace; when He suffers the flogging
and drags his own cross; when He
wore a crown of thorns with more
nobility than any king has ever worn
a crown of gold; when He was nailed
to a cross and taunted by a thief. The
love that he shows when he cried
out, “Father, forgive them, they
know not what they do.” Even then.
Even at that moment of extreme
suffering, Jesus refuses to turn his
back on us. He refuses to stop loving
us. This is the endless love of Easter.
We can turn our backs on God. We
can walk away. We can hurt and cut
and betray. But God will not. God
will always be reaching out, arms
wide open. Just as Jesus did for
Judas on that fateful night. Just as
Jesus did on the cross.
What wondrous love and amazing
grace is that. Thanks be to God, our
Saviour.
THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH
CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND HOLY MASS.
OUR SUNDAY LITURGIES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
Brussels:
St. Ambrose
Saturday
6:00 p.m.
17 Flora Street
Wingham:
Sacred Heart
Sunday
9:00 a.m.
220 Carling Terrace
Listowel:
St. Joseph’s
Sunday
11:00 a.m.
1025 Wallace Avenue N.huronchapel.com huronchapelkids.com huronchapelyouth.com
519-526-1131 ~ 119 John’s Ave., Auburn
GOOD FRIDAY
Free Community Breakfast 8-10 a.m. at Blyth Memorial Hall
Good Friday Worship 11:00 a.m. at Huron Chapel, Auburn
-------------------------
EASTER SUNDAY APRIL 21
Wednesdays 6:30-8:30 p.m. Jr. & Sr. YOUTH (Gr. 7-12)
Mon. Apr. 29 7 p.m. Tim & the Glory Boys concert at Blyth Memorial Hall
Evangelical Missionary Church
6:30 a.m. SonRise Service at R&S Howson’s, 39755 Blyth Road (Pastor Ernest Dow)
10:30 a.m. Easter Celebration at Huron Chapel
Pastor Phil Delsaut - “The Breaking Son-shine of Hope: He is Risen!” (Acts 2:22-38)
OFFICE: 519-523-4224
blythunited@tcc.on.ca
Accessible
Join us at 7:00 pm
at Blyth United Church for
Lenten Cantata, “Here Is Love”
Facebook: Blyth and Brussels United Churches
Easter Sunday, April 21
Guest Speaker: Elaine Strawbridge
Office Hours:
Tuesday & Thursday ~ 9:30 am - 2:00 pm
Blyth United Church
Good Friday, April 19
combined choirs of Clinton United and Blyth United Churches.BRUSSELS
United Church
All are Welcome
Good Friday Worship
Friday, April 19
at 10:00 am
Easter Sunday Worship
Celebration
Sunday, April 21
at 9:30 am
Worship leader, Elaine Strawbridge
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
SUNDAY, APRIL 21
Nursery care available
519-887-6687
We invite you to join our church family in:
Easter Breakfast
9:00-10:30 am - by the Sunday School
Easter Service & Sunday School
at 11:00 am
Come join us in worship - Christ is risen!
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, April 21
at 10:30 a.m. & 6:00 p.m.
650 Alexander St. (former Brussels Public School)
Sunday School for children
4 to 12 years of age at 9:30 a.m.
Childcare provided for infants and preschoolers
during the sermon.
Coffee & cookies after the morning service.
Wednesday Night Kids’ Club 6:45 pm - 8:15 pm (ages 5-12)
For additional details please contact Pastor Andrew Versteeg 519.887.8621
Steve Klumpenhower 519.292.0965 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
Hwy. 4, Blyth www.blythcrc.ca 519-523-4743
Minister: Pastor Gary van Leeuwen
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
Good Friday, April 19
Morning Service 10:00 am
You’re Invited To Join Us In Worship
Sunday, April 21
Easter Sunday Service 10:00 am
No evening serviceThe Regional Ministry of Hope
COME WORSHIP WITH US!
BLYTH BRUSSELS
Trinity St. John’s
9:15 am
Easter Eucharist
11:15 am
Easter Eucharist
St. Paul’s Trinity
WINGHAM
These Anglican Churches Welcome You
11:15 am
Easter Eucharist
Rev. JoAnn Todd, Rector 519-357-7781
email: revjoann@hurontel.on.caTheRegionalMinistryof Hope
Maundy Thursday, April 18: Parish Service at Trinity - Blyth, 7:00 pm
Good Friday, April 19: Parish Service at St. Paul’s Trinity - Wingham 10:30 am
Sunday, April 21
From the Minister’s Study
God will always be reaching out: Ireland