Focus

Slow your breathing and become aware of the taking in and letting out of your breath. Focus on putting things aside so you will be open to what God is saying to you today.

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Read

Luke 22:1-13 (NRSV)

Now the festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was near. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Jesus to death, for they were afraid of the people.

Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve; he went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers of the temple police about how he might betray him to them. They were greatly pleased and agreed to give him money. So he consented and began to look for an opportunity to betray him to them when no crowd was present.

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 meal for us that we may eat it.” They asked him, “Where do you want us to make preparations for it?” “Listen,” he said to them, “when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house he enters and say to the owner of the house, ’The teacher asks you, “Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ He will show you a large room upstairs, already furnished. Make preparations for us there.” So they went and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.

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Reflect

A Jewish feast day, a conspiracy sealed with blood-money, a traveling preacher celebrating an ancient tradition with his disciples—this is what we are presented with in today’s scripture. What can we find here that would inspire us? What can we find here that would guide us closer to God, or propel us forward in our lives?

Perhaps only this: It is in the rough and tumble of everyday living that God appears. In the simplest of ways, Jesus assured his disciples that they would be guided. He told them to go into town where they would find someone who would direct them to where they need to go. Sometimes life is that simple, and that mysterious. We take the next step, and something happens that enables us to take the step after that.

More often than not, that is how life works. Not a lavish production, not an astounding miracle, but simply living day-by-day, finding what we need for this moment. “Give us this day our daily bread.” If we follow God’s leading, we will have what we need, when we need it.

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Pray

God of all provision, help us simply to trust and to follow you. We pray in the name of Jesus, who always did just that. Amen.

Go with God.