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“But Jesus said to him, ‘Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?’”—LUKE 22:48 (NRSV)

Reflect
Judas had been with Jesus almost from the beginning. They had walked those dusty roads together, felt the press of crowds all needing help and healing, and that night they just finished supper together. Judas was a disciple of Jesus, who called him friend. There is no sharper sting than the hurt from a friend’s betrayal. And Judas had used that most human expression of intimacy, a kiss, to make sure the Roman soldiers knew Jesus was the one they should arrest. He did not resist, pausing only to express to Judas the painful truth. Jesus referred to himself as “The Son of Man,” the one about to give himself for all of humanity, and there is so much poignancy in this phrase. Jesus was one who knew human suffering from the inside out. The one who gave his disciples the new mandate that very night, to love one another like he loved them and showed them what that meant, by the intimate gesture of washing their feet. And he was the one betrayed by the intimate gesture of a kiss.

Respond
Pick one word that stands out to you in this reflection. Let it lead you, asking God what it means for you today.

Blessing for Maundy Thursday

Blessed are you, standing at night’s edge,
the festival of grief and somehow triumph.
The end draws near,
and yet, something new is beginning.

Grace doesn’t add up
it sits with betrayers,
washes the feet of backstabbers,
breaks bread with the disloyal,
and shares a cup with double-dealers.

Blessed are you when guarantees slip,
as love shows becomes costly,
asking for everything and promising nothing.

May you seebeauty in this sacrifice,
love that begs us to keep loving,
even as hearts are broken.

Blessed are you, remembering,
when forgetting feels easier,
that in this undoing,
the world is being remade.44

44 Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie. Adapted from “For Maundy Thursday” in The Lives We Actually Have: 100 Blessings for Imperfect Days. (New York: Convergent Books, 2023). 204-205.

© KateBowler.com