Thanks

The other day Chris & I were on the bus making the 6 hour or so journery to see his grandparents.

Half-way through the bus stopped at a service station and I got out to go for a little walk and stretch my legs.

When I then got back on the bus I started walking down the aisle of the bus to get to where we wre sitting.

Imagine the scene, I was walking down the bus, in the opposite direction to the passenger's seats, as they were all facing me.

As I was walking along 2 people sitting in the seats a few rows ahead of where I was walking suddenly stood up and stepped out into the aisle and started walking towards me.

I thought "Oh dear. Can't they see that I'm already here? One of us has got to stop or we'll crash into each other because there isn't space for all of us."

So as they approached I spotted an empty seat and swiftly stood to one side. I pulled a smile on my face as if to say "It's okay...you go ahead."

and the two people just walked past me and totally blanked me. They didn't look over or give any sign of recognition; no friendly eye-contact or nod of the head.

humph. Well, this lack of recognition kinda annoyed me and so I said (only half under my breath) "Yeh..you're welcome."

and then I walked back to my seat.

As I sat down I started to think about what just happened and how I had reacted, in the light of Holy Week...

Jesus came to Earth simply for love for us. He had no alterior motive; just an infathomable ocean of love for each one of us. and desiring so incomprehensibly greatly for us to be happy forever with Him, He went through the most unimaginable emotional and physical suffering.

and what thanks did He get?

He was betrayed by Judas; out of all his followers, Jesus chose Judas to be one of the special twelve disciples. Jesus must've trusted Jesus, they'd who'd lived together for a good few years, Judas heard His teachings and should've understood Him...and Judas sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.

What a wound. Poor Jesus.

Then think of how Peter, the one to whom Jesus had given the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, DENIED knowing Jesus.
He denied having anything to do with the one whom he'd proclaimed the Son of God.

and then the rest of the twelve disciples scattered in fear and none (except St. John & sweet Mary) stayed with Him.

So what thanks did Jesus get for His love and sacrifice for us?
Those closest to Him betrayed and abandoned Him, and the rest threw stones, spat at Him, lashed Him, mocked Him...and then crucified Him.


So when I desire to be thanked for the insignificant things that I do, I should rejoice when I'm not, because Jesus wasn't, and so then I can offer my action to Jesus and unite it to His suffering and the tremendous lack of any gratitude that He recieved.