Maundy Thursday--May You Not Come Into the Time of Trial

Lent Day 38—The Great Three Days: Maundy Thursday, April 1

Theme for the Week: The Passion of Christ according to Saint Luke

Passage for the Day: Luke 22:39-42

³⁹ He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. ⁴⁰ When he reached the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.” ⁴¹ Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, ⁴² “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.”

Reflection:

Today, the Remembrance and Celebration of The Great Three Days begin. Tonight we will gather to remember Jesus’ last night with his disciples. We will recount how Jesus washed his disciples’ feet and in doing so taught them about servant leadership. We will gather around a Table for a meal, remembering the last meal that Jesus shared with his disciples. We will remember how Jesus told us that the bread and wine are his body and blood, given for us. We will experience Jesus’ presence among us as we share the bread and wine.

The setting for this text from Luke, is after Jesus and the disciples have departed from their last meal together. Jesus has already predicted his own betrayal by one of the disciples and predicted Peter’s denial of him. This scene finds Jesus at the Mount of Olives, ready to begin praying about his upcoming death. Jesus knows that the disciples will have some difficult days coming up, and he urges them to pray so that they will not come into the time of trial.

As we enter the Great Three Days, this prayer is an appropriate one for us also. When I was growing up, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday were a part of the culture in which I was submersed. There was no school on Good Friday and it was a time when we were fairly quiet and usually visited elderly relatives. We typically went to church. In our culture today, nothing stops for the Great Three Days. Yet, we are called by God to spend time in prayer, reflection, and remembrance during these three days. The culture draws us one way—business as usual; God calls us to stop and pray. Pray you do not come into the time of trial—tempted by the frenzy of the world.

Prayer Themes:

Thank God for the gift of The Three Days with the opportunity to experience Jesus’ passion. Thank God for Jesus’ sacrifice for me. Pray that I will not fall into a time of trial. Pray for those who are experiencing trials and temptations.