Matthew Chapter 26
In life, there are many opportunities to do many things, but how do we react to these opportunities depends on what we love and what we deem most important.
In this chapter, Jesus’ ministry was almost coming to an end, and it was time for Him to go to the Father. The chief priests and the scribes wanted Him dead, so they seek for a good opportunity to do what they desired, and that was to put Jesus to death.
Mary, on the other hand, would have wanted Jesus to be around for as long as He could. She might not know that Jesus would eventually be hung on the cross for the sins of the world, but she grabbed hold of the good opportunity to express her strong devotion to her Saviour, and she anointed Him with her most costly possession.
How about Judas? He knew the Jews wanted Jesus dead, so he saw an opportunity to benefit from the high priests. So he went ahead to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, and after receiving the money, he sought for an opportunity to deliver Jesus to the chief priests.
Even though Jesus gave him opportunities to change his heart, Judas refused, instead he allowed Satan to enter into his heart (John 13: 2), adamantly desiring to betray his Lord for monetary gain!
Our Lord Jesus, the Master of Judas and the other eleven disciples, took the opportunity to celebrate a final Passover with them, showing His love for them to the end (John 13: 1).
During the celebration, not only did He institute the Holy Communion, He also instituted the sacrament of Foot Washing, allowing His disciples to have a part with Him. After the humble and life giving meal, He grabbed hold of the opportunity to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane with vehement cries to His Father before facing the horrifying torture and crucifixion (Hebrews 5: 7).
Peter, the seemingly bravest and most faithful among the disciples, missed the opportunity to prove himself to be a victor in faith by keeping watch in prayer with Him, instead he slumbered while His Master was in great distress.
Even though he was quick to slash the ear of Malchus (John 18: 10), he forsook His Lord and fled (Matthew 26: 56). Later that night, instead of confessing to be Jesus’ disciple when being questioned, he chose to deny the Lord at all the three opportunities thrown at him, exactly as how Jesus had prophesied he would.
In this chapter, we see several opportunities and how different characters reacted to them. Needless to say that our Lord Jesus, as fully human, showed us how we should react to opportunities in ways that are favourable to man and bringing glory to God.
“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God”
1 Corinthians 10: 31 – 32
