Portent

And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet. And early in the morning all the people came to him in the temple to hear him.

Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people. Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd. Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” They said to him, “Where will you have us prepare it?” He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters and tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there.” And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. Luke 21:37-22:13

When you go to the movies, it is the music that gives away portent and danger long before the film reveals the danger. In the movie Jaws, there was a low throbbing beat added to the music before everything turned bad and long before the water churned with blood. In daily life though, there is no score, no music to warn us that things are going bad, that people are jealous and plotting, or that an accident or injury awaits us. We carry on because if there was indeed a score, with a low throbbing beat on our worst days, we would never go out the door.

In the gospel story, this would be the time that the music would change and the low throbbing beat would begin in earnest. Jesus has offended the religious leaders by opening his heart to the people and sharing with them. People would come out before daylight and sit with him, absorbing every word. And he would teach them all no matter who they were. This kind of behavior is a threat to folks who need to control, and authentic power is infuriating to those who would have it all. Jesus was doomed because he wouldn't play the politics of the religious leadership. He told the truth with love and it brought the house down.

Today, I want to remember that despite all of the things that can go wrong, and all of the accidents and plots that can be anticipated, we are invited by God to trust and move on caring for the neediest among us. We cannot worry about tomorrow, for all of us are in God's hands, whatever the day. May we rejoice that despite darkness and plotting we are tenderly held and are invited to share that love where ever we go.