STATION 2

JESUS Is Arrested
Matthew 26:47-56

Devotion:
Judas sealed his betrayal of Jesus with a kiss on the cheek. In the culture of the time, a kiss was a sign of love and loyalty. So as a disciple of a teacher, Judas would have kissed Jesus before and it would have been as nothing more than a sign of respect and honor. This wouldn’t have been unusual between Jesus and his disciples, so in this moment it wouldn’t have seemed as odd, but we know it was totally different now. Have you ever wondered why Judas chose to identify and betray Jesus with a kiss? After all, it would have been easy to just point Jesus out or call by name, but there had to be a meaning behind this kiss. Maybe Judas was saying: “I am doing this so you will reveal yourself as the King of Kings who will free us, your people, from the Romans oppressors and bring about your Kingdom you keep talking about.” Or perhaps Judas wasn’t trying to force Jesus to do anything, but maybe the betrayal meant something else: “Jesus I believed and loved you once. But you promised the kingdom of God, but you betrayed me, you betrayed us all by allowing yourself to die.” From our perspective, it’s easy to condemn Judas. History shows that Judas is one of the most despised people of all time, yet by heaping disdain on Judas, we miss the chance to confront the Judas in ourselves. What about our own mixed responses to Jesus?

Reflection:
How many times have we betrayed Jesus, not in the literal way of Judas, but in our hearts and actions? How many times have we confessed Jesus as Lord, only to enthrone ourselves as the true lord of our lives?

Prayer:
O Lord, as much as I hate to admit it, there is a bit of Judas in me. Forgive for the times I have pledged my love for you, only to reject you in the way I live or by putting other things other things before you. Help me to see where my commitment to you is mixed, where my heart is divided against itself. Set me free to be wholly devoted to you, even when I don’t understand what you are asking of me and even if I am scared of what is happening in my life. Amen.