WE ARE

When Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet, he said to them: “Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it. I am not speaking of all of you. I know those whom I have chosen. But so that the Scripture might be fulfilled, The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me. From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” (John 13:16-20)

The Scripture to which John refers is Psalm 41 “For the leader. A psalm of David.”  It sings: Blessed the one concerned for the poor; on a day of misfortune, the LORD delivers him. The LORD keeps and preserves him, makes him blessed in the land, and does not betray him to his enemies. The LORD sustains him on his sickbed, you turn down his bedding whenever he is ill.

Even I have said, “LORD, take note of me; heal me, although I have sinned against you. My enemies say bad things against me: ‘When will he die and his name be forgotten?’ When someone comes to visit me, he speaks without sincerity. His heart stores up malice; when he leaves, he gossips. All those who hate me whisper together against me; they imagine the worst about me: ‘He has had ruin poured over him; that one lying down will never rise again.’ Even my trusted friend, who ate my bread, has raised his heel against me… 

This psalm is placed in our Gospel as a way to reference Judas and his betrayal.   He raised his heel against Jesus after eating with him.  He sold him out.  If not him, then perhaps someone else?  Many of us know a Judas, a trusted friend, or at least we thought so.

The internet has for more people than we might think led to the sort of prayer provided in Psalm 41.  Our enemies say bad things against us.   Our “friends” are insincere and have hearts filled with malice.   Whispering gossip turns into social media insults and lies against us.  They seek our ruination.   How un-Christian is that!?  How anti-Christ is that!?  They have raised their heels against us.

Perhaps one way to deal with those “heels,” who appear to lack souls, is to turn to the Lord and remember and pray #41.  On our days of misfortune, we will be delivered, kept, and preserved.  We will be blessed and sustained because the Lord is always with us, and we must turn to him for comfort and strength.

We believe he is “I AM.”  Let’s reflect that by saying, “I am resilient. I am unafraid of raised heels.  I am unwilling to be defeated by my adversaries.  I am not hateful.  I am with the Lord: WE ARE.

Deacon David Pierce