Holy Wednesday is often seen as a period of time in which Jesus and His disciples rested. The chronology of Holy Week looks something like this: Sunday, Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem; Monday, the clearing of the money changers from the Temple; Tuesday, teaching and controversy as Jesus answers challenge after challenge by Pharisees and Sadducees... on Thursday, Jesus meets a final time with His disciples, has His last supper with them, and will be arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knows this. It stands to reason, then, that by Wednesday, knowing what's coming next, He would simply want a time to rest with His friends and in the presence of God.
As a working parent of four, there are three things I value more than anything else on this earth: sleep, silence, and adult conversation. Sometimes, even though I love my job -- and my children -- there is simply nothing I want more than to come home, send the kids to bed, turn off the TV, and have a cup of coffee with my wife.
I'm part of a small group Bible Study, and one of the funniest things about this group is that, when we get together, it takes us forever to actually get started. Why? Well, for one thing, we're all parents, and many of us have jobs outside the home. We send the kids downstairs with the sitter, and we just spend those first several minutes (and occasionally, I confess, the entire night) simply laughing and relaxing and enjoying the presence of other adults.
This is called fellowship, and it's vital. Even Jesus had His three confidants, and even, scholars suggest, a single best friend, John -- the one to whom He entrusted the care of His mother.
So, today, we remember that even our Lord, in the midst of the mental and emotional turmoil, took some time to simply enjoy His friends. And if He needed that time, don't we?
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