Holy Week 2007-
Maundy Thursday- Great High Drama
(Based on thoughts from Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan in the book, The Last Week, pages 107 and 135)

• Supper
• Gethsemene
• Prayer
• Sweating Blood
  
• Arrest
• Interrogation
• Peter

A remarkable evening and night. So dramatic and powerful. Once you have heard the story all you have to hear are those clues, like cues for something deep and profound. Nothing is as it appears. Everything appears as if it were the final stage. It will continue into tomorrow and it's almost climactic moment.

Thursday ends with Peter- marked contrast to his former colleague, Judas. Year in and year out I have read the events of Thursday and they end with such power and emotion.

• Peter denies Jesus three times, even calling down an oath on himself.
• The rooster crows marking the break of a new day.
• Jesus turns and looks directly at Peter.
• Peter goes out and weeps bitterly.

There on the shadow of the story, soon to be revealed for the last time, is Judas. The other betrayer. Both Peter and Judas are examples of the overall betrayal of all the disciples. Even those closest to Jesus failed him at this moment. No one was left. It is interesting how the early church printed and distributed such an ugly picture of its leaders. In stark contrast to the heroes of other such stories, these are weak and afraid as long as they are controlled by their human instincts. Or worse- look at poor Judas.

In reality, though, neither denial nor betrayal is worse than the other, especially looking back from where we are and knowing what we think we know. Sin is sin is sin.

But one goes into despair so deep and so devastating that he can't climb out of it. He probably became so filled with shame at his "badness" that he doesn't believe he can be forgiven.

The other grows into the Rock on which Jesus promised to build the church. Even through a despair and a fear and a complete loss of faith he might have felt through those bitter tears, he came to hold fast to something he probably couldn't even name as Thursday became Friday.

Despair, loss of faith, even denial and betrayal are not an end. Repentance will always, always bring forgiveness. Had Judas broken down, wept bitterly, repented with patience, he too would have been forgiven. But he placed himself beyond forgiveness by believing he wasn't and so ended his own life before Jesus could show him the power of what had really happened.

Patience, even in despair. John Kennedy quoted scripture in his inaugural address that fits- we are to be "rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation." (Romans 12:12) In the long run of the next three days, Peter shows us the power of what that means.