131. Saturday after First Sunday in Lent.
Most patient Lamb of God, give us to be of like mind with thee. Amen.
Matthew 26, 49-54. And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, Master; and kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus, stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword, shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?
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Let us bear in mind that Jesus was betrayed with a kiss; the expression and sign of love, of near relationship, of mutual attachment. There was this degree of intimacy between him and the betrayer. “It was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.” (Psalm 55, 13. 14). The devil has entered into Judas, and he kisses Jesus. The Lord accepts the kiss; and by what means could he have suffered himself to be abased lower than this! Could he in any possible way have shown greater meekness and patience? And, what is more, immediately after receiving the kiss he speaks words of mercy to Judas: “Friend, wherefore art thou come? Judas, betrayest thou the Son of Man with a kiss?” What he says to Judas is neither hypocrisy nor bitterness; he still wishes to save that unhappy man. Jesus is betrayed with a kiss by one of the members of his own household, as it were; and on the part of the betrayer this certainly was an act worthy of the devil. But the spirit in which the Lord accepts this treatment is truly divine. He receives the kiss with such perfect meekness and love that the devil does not succeed in pouring even one drop of the poison of anger and deceit into the pure soul of the Savior. The Son of Man thus atones for the sins of duplicity and sham piety; and there is herein much comfort and grace for us. That which Christ does on this occasion is done by way of atonement for all the falsehood and anger which have found lodgment in our poor hearts, and of which there is such an abundance in our sinful lives. Hereafter the devil shall not be able to bring anything to my charge on account of my hypocritical heart, nor on account of the deceit which did, and to my sorrow still does, stain my life. Neither shall it now be necessary for any whom the devil has led astray into the sins of lying and faithlessness and deceit to continue with these sins weighing on his conscience, if he will but confess them. But, on the other hand, neither shall any among us continue to stain our conduct with these things; for Christ has delivered us from the ways of the devil. Come out into the light with everything. Spread out before the Lord your soul and your life, and all that propensity to deceit which you find in your heart; — and “the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” The devil with his greatest masterpiece of cunning is put to shame. Glory be to God!
We thank thee, Lord Jesus, for that thou didst accept the kiss of Judas. Thereby thou hast given me unspeakably great and sweet comfort. I lie prostrate at thy feet, and will forever lie at the foot of thy throne and thank thee for all the bitterness which thou didst taste for me and take from me. Faithful Savior, give me the light and grace of thy Holy Spirit, that I may believe in thee. Amen.
Hail, thou once despised Jesus!
Hail, thou Galilean King!
Thou didst suffer to release us,
Thou didst free salvation bring.
Hail, thou agonizing Savior,
Bearer of our sin and shame!
By thy merit we find favor;
Life is given through thy name.