Jeremiah 26:1-19 - I always think of the Old Testament prophets as deliverers of bad news who were always hated in their time. Jeremiah certainly seems to fit the bill here, but amazingly the people recognize him as a prophet and decide not to kill him. With all the focus on "those ignorant people" I often miss the willingness of the prophet to speak God's Word and leave himself in the hands of the angry mob. Jesus was no different in this respect. He was rejected in his day and in ours. What is truly unexpected is not the rejection and the death, but the resurrection and the gift of faith.
Matthew 26:20-35 - As regular recipients of the Lord's Supper on Sunday mornings this reading should be a bit jarring. I say this because we often enjoy the meal in the midst of the peace of worship. We're already in the rhythm of worship, very likely we've said confession a bit earlier and that might not be foremost on our minds. But in Matthew the supper is bracketed by conflict. Just before they eat, Jesus points out Judas as the betrayer. Right after they eat Jesus tells of the chaos they will endure and the betrayal of Peter. How peaceful was this meal? Christ's sacrifice is given in the midst of conflict, because of conflict. Our sin puts us at odds with God, Christ's body and blood given for you. Our sin puts us in conflict with each other, Christ's body and blood given for you.
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