Will You Lay Down Your Life for Me?

Gospel Reflection for Tuesday of Holy Week - Jn 13: 21-33,36-38

“Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”

As we continue our journey into Holy Week, these words lingered from today’s Gospel.

There have been many moments in my life when I was certain that the fire burning in my heart for the Lord would never dim. That it would blaze long and bright, and nothing could separate me from the Lord. Then the reality of my weakness, my inconsistency, my selfishness and pride would kick in and that fire would dim to burning embers.

Today we are still in the Upper Room, and we witness troubling and consoling moments. From the foretelling of Judas’ certain betrayal, to Jesus speaking of glory and love.

Yet it is Peter’s predicament I relate to the most. Peter’s heart is on fire for Jesus, He desires to remain close to Him. To follow Him where ever He may go. But Jesus knows something Peter doesn’t - the reality of our humanity. Jesus asks Peter “Will you lay down your life for me?” Without waiting for a reply He continues “Truly, truly I say to you, the cock will not crow, till you have denied me three times.”

When was the last time I offered my life to Christ?

When was the last time I was desperate to follow Him? Where my soul craved His closeness.

And when that longing faded, when that fire had dimmed, when fear, exhaustion, or failure took its place, did I remember that Jesus knew I would stumble too?

Peter’s story doesn’t end in denial. It ends in redemption. In being called again, loved again, trusted again.

This Holy Week, I invite you to ask for the grace to follow after Christ in His Passion. To let your failures soften you rather than shame you. To keep returning to Him, even when you falter.

Because He still asks, even knowing the raw truth of our humanity: Will you lay down your life for me?

And by His grace, may our answer, however small - be yes

Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified,
"Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me."
The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant.
One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved,
was reclining at Jesus' side.
So Simon Peter nodded to him to find out whom he meant.
He leaned back against Jesus' chest and said to him,
"Master, who is it?"
Jesus answered,
"It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it."
So he dipped the morsel and took it and handed it to Judas,
son of Simon the Iscariot.
After Judas took the morsel, Satan entered him.
So Jesus said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly."
Now none of those reclining at table realized why he said this to him.
Some thought that since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus had told him,
"Buy what we need for the feast,"
or to give something to the poor.
So Judas took the morsel and left at once. And it was night.

When he had left, Jesus said,
"Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself,
and he will glorify him at once.
My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.
You will look for me, and as I told the Jews,
'Where I go you cannot come,' so now I say it to you."

Simon Peter said to him, "Master, where are you going?"
Jesus answered him,
"Where I am going, you cannot follow me now,
though you will follow later."
Peter said to him,
"Master, why can I not follow you now?
I will lay down my life for you."
Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me?
Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow
before you deny me three times."