Good Friday and family
We use NIV at our church, but when quoting scripture in a non-church setting, it's sometimes nice to use a different translation. There's KJV with its beautiful prose, and on the other end of the spectrum there's The Message with its plain, modern language. I'm using The Message tonight:
Then Jesus went with them to a garden called Gethsemane and told his disciples, "Stay here while I go over there and pray." Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he plunged into an agonizing sorrow. Then he said, "This sorrow is crushing my life out. Stay here and keep vigil with me."
Going a little ahead, he fell on his face, praying, "My Father, if there is any way, get me out of this. But please, not what I want. You, what do you want?"
When he came back to his disciples, he found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, "Can't you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert; be in prayer so you don't wander into temptation without even knowing you're in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there's another part that's as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire."
He then left them a second time. Again he prayed, "My Father, if there is no other way than this, drinking this cup to the dregs, I'm ready. Do it your way."
When he came back, he again found them sound asleep. They simply couldn't keep their eyes open. This time he let them sleep on, and went back a third time to pray, going over the same ground one last time.
When he came back the next time, he said, "Are you going to sleep on and make a night of it? My time is up, the Son of Man is about to be handed over to the hands of sinners. Get up! Let's get going! My betrayer is here."
The words were barely out of his mouth when Judas (the one from the Twelve) showed up, and with him a gang from the high priests and religious leaders brandishing swords and clubs. The betrayer had worked out a sign with them: "The one I kiss, that's the one-seize him." He went straight to Jesus, greeted him, "How are you, Rabbi?" and kissed him.
Jesus said, "Friend, why this charade?"
Then they came on him-grabbed him and roughed him up. One of those with Jesus pulled his sword and, taking a swing at the Chief Priest's servant, cut off his ear.
Jesus said, "Put your sword back where it belongs. All who use swords are destroyed by swords. Don't you realize that I am able right now to call to my Father, and twelve companies-more, if I want them-of fighting angels would be here, battle-ready? But if I did that, how would the Scriptures come true that say this is the way it has to be?"
Then Jesus addressed the mob: "What is this-coming out after me with swords and clubs as if I were a dangerous criminal? Day after day I have been sitting in the Temple teaching, and you never so much as lifted a hand against me. You've done it this way to confirm and fulfill the prophetic writings."
Then all the disciples cut and ran.
Matthew 26:36-56
We had dinner at home, then went downtown for the Good Friday service. Traffic was bad because of the Jays game, I think. Sister's boyfriend came with us, and afterward we had a snack (second dinner?) at Asian Legend. She and her boyfriend then went to his house for another meal, because apparently it's Croatian tradition to break their no-meat fast with ham at midnight. *g* (Sister's boyfriend's family is Catholic, so they only had fish on Good Friday. We're Protestant, so we don't really care about that.)
My brother didn't stick downtown with us for food at Asian Legend--he'd apparently made plans with friends to watch the Lakers basketball game. He was a huge brat about it and my dad was not pleased. OTOH, my dad should have known he couldn't force my brother to cancel his plans for a last-minute whim to eat downtown (my dad's idea).
It's pretty sad and pathetic that a time of worship and contemplation and family togetherness got derailed because once again my dad and brother can't communicate. *sigh*
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Then Jesus went with them to a garden called Gethsemane and told his disciples, "Stay here while I go over there and pray." Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he plunged into an agonizing sorrow. Then he said, "This sorrow is crushing my life out. Stay here and keep vigil with me."
Going a little ahead, he fell on his face, praying, "My Father, if there is any way, get me out of this. But please, not what I want. You, what do you want?"
When he came back to his disciples, he found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, "Can't you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert; be in prayer so you don't wander into temptation without even knowing you're in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there's another part that's as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire."
He then left them a second time. Again he prayed, "My Father, if there is no other way than this, drinking this cup to the dregs, I'm ready. Do it your way."
When he came back, he again found them sound asleep. They simply couldn't keep their eyes open. This time he let them sleep on, and went back a third time to pray, going over the same ground one last time.
When he came back the next time, he said, "Are you going to sleep on and make a night of it? My time is up, the Son of Man is about to be handed over to the hands of sinners. Get up! Let's get going! My betrayer is here."
The words were barely out of his mouth when Judas (the one from the Twelve) showed up, and with him a gang from the high priests and religious leaders brandishing swords and clubs. The betrayer had worked out a sign with them: "The one I kiss, that's the one-seize him." He went straight to Jesus, greeted him, "How are you, Rabbi?" and kissed him.
Jesus said, "Friend, why this charade?"
Then they came on him-grabbed him and roughed him up. One of those with Jesus pulled his sword and, taking a swing at the Chief Priest's servant, cut off his ear.
Jesus said, "Put your sword back where it belongs. All who use swords are destroyed by swords. Don't you realize that I am able right now to call to my Father, and twelve companies-more, if I want them-of fighting angels would be here, battle-ready? But if I did that, how would the Scriptures come true that say this is the way it has to be?"
Then Jesus addressed the mob: "What is this-coming out after me with swords and clubs as if I were a dangerous criminal? Day after day I have been sitting in the Temple teaching, and you never so much as lifted a hand against me. You've done it this way to confirm and fulfill the prophetic writings."
Then all the disciples cut and ran.
Matthew 26:36-56
We had dinner at home, then went downtown for the Good Friday service. Traffic was bad because of the Jays game, I think. Sister's boyfriend came with us, and afterward we had a snack (second dinner?) at Asian Legend. She and her boyfriend then went to his house for another meal, because apparently it's Croatian tradition to break their no-meat fast with ham at midnight. *g* (Sister's boyfriend's family is Catholic, so they only had fish on Good Friday. We're Protestant, so we don't really care about that.)
My brother didn't stick downtown with us for food at Asian Legend--he'd apparently made plans with friends to watch the Lakers basketball game. He was a huge brat about it and my dad was not pleased. OTOH, my dad should have known he couldn't force my brother to cancel his plans for a last-minute whim to eat downtown (my dad's idea).
It's pretty sad and pathetic that a time of worship and contemplation and family togetherness got derailed because once again my dad and brother can't communicate. *sigh*
I prefer comments on Dreamwidth |
comment(s)