Walking Worthy on Wednesday

Wednesday of Holy Week. How often have I heard it referred to as "Hump Day"--as in, over the hump and more than half way to the weekend. Boy, Lord, please help me never to live my life this way--just waiting for the weekend. Biding my time. Forfeiting the gift of fully living in the present irreplaceable moment, missing the challenges and joys of the journey in my relentless quest to move on to the next bigger or better or easier thing. Yet how often is this our attitude? If I can just get through school, then.... or if I can just get married, then... or if we can just have children, then... or if we can just get these children in school and out of the house for a few minutes peace, then... or if we can just get our children in a good college and successfully on their own, then... or if we can just save up enough for a prosperous, secure retirement, then... And suddenly life is over, and we've completely missed all the wonder, all the gifts, as we kept biding our time till we got "over the hump." Forgive us, Lord. Help us, Lord. Show us, Lord.

What must that wednesday have been like for the Savior? That last wednesday of His earthly life. In less than 48 hours, He would be facing horror and humiliation and pain and betrayal such as none of us could ever imagine. What must He have been thinking and feeling?

I'm just betting He thought of you. And me. And our children and grandchildren. And our forefathers and friends. Surely the thought of your salvation ran through His mind, and He smiled. Smiled at the joy of this priceless gift He was about to give to you, the apple of His eye. And perhaps He was praying for us, knowing our weakness and frailties, and loving us anyway. Praying we would look to His cross and believe. And follow. And be filled with His Spirit and with the joy and peace and power He longs for each of us to possess.

I don't know what our Sovereign Savior thought or felt that bittersweet wednesday, but I know His heart and mind were set and steadfast upon the cross and the joy of salvation His cross would bring to us, His children.

Surely He was praying for us, even as "the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest Him by stealth and kill Him" on that very wednesday. (Mk.14:1-2) Even as His own beloved and chosen disciple, Judas, who had lived and eaten and walked and shared with Jesus, prepared to betray His Lord on that very wednesday. Judas "went to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray Him." (Mk.14:10-11) Did you notice that word, "glad?" That almost makes me sick--they were "glad" of the betrayal and the imminent murder of the Creator and Sustainer and Redeemer of the Universe. Their Creator. Their Redeemer. The One who would die for them, those who plotted and rejoiced in His death. Grace.

Even on that last wednesday, Jesus continued to walk resolutely and joyfully to the cross, for you, for me, for all those who hated and betrayed and rejected Him. Might we walk faithfully as well. Might we, in Paul's words, "walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called." (Eph. 4:1) Help us to walk worthy, Lord. Help us to walk fully in the present moment You have given us. Help us to walk with our eyes fixed on the cross and our hearts focused on loving You and those You've given to us this day, this very day, to love. Help us to walk as grateful recipients of Your grace, sharing that grace and forgiveness and love with all those along our paths. To our Lord Jesus, our Savior, be all the glory.