Psalm
109 Prayed
The sufferings and betrayal of Jesus for me
Lord Jesus, when
Herod and Pontius Pilate
met
together with the Gentiles
and the people of Israel in
Jerusalem
to
conspire against you,
your
Father was there for you to cry out to:
“O God, whom I praise,
do
not remain silent,
for wicked and deceitful men
have
opened their mouths against me;
they
have spoken against me with lying
tongues.
With words of hatred they
surround me;
they
attack me without cause.
In return for my friendship
they accuse me,
but
I am a man of prayer.
They repay me evil for good,
and
hatred for my friendship.”
Judas, who betrayed you, knew
the place where
you
went to pray,
because you had often met there with
your
disciples.
So Judas came to the grove, guiding a
detachment
of
soldiers
and
some officials from the chief priests and
Pharisees.
They were carrying torches,
lanterns and weapons.
This
betrayer had arranged a signal with them:
“The one I kiss is the man;
arrest him
and
lead him away under guard.”
Going
at once to you, Judas said, “Rabbi!”
and
kissed you.
As the Son of Man, you had to
go
just
as it is written about you.
But woe to that man who
betrayed the Son of Man!
It would be better for him if he had
not been
born.
An evil man was appointed to oppose Judas;
the
Accuser stood at his right hand.
For Satan had entered Judas
and
he went to the chief priests and the officers
of
the temple,
and
discussed with them how he might betray
you.
When he is tried, he will be found guilty,
and
his prayers will condemn him.
His days were few;
for
when Judas, who had betrayed you,
saw
that you had been condemned, he was
seized
with remorse
and returned the thirty silver
coins
to
the chief priests and the elders.
“I
have sinned,” he said,
“for
I have betrayed innocent blood.”
“What is that to us?” they
replied.
“That’s
your responsibility.”
So Judas threw the money into
the temple and left.
Then
he went away and hanged himself,
so
another took his place of leadership.
You showed the apostles whom
you had chosen
who
was to take over his apostolic ministry,
which
Judas left to go where he belongs.
When they cast lots,
the
lot fell to Matthias,
so
he was added to the eleven apostles.
Judas’ children were left
fatherless
and
his wife a widow.
His children became wandering
beggars;
they
were driven from their ruined homes.
A creditor seized all he had;
strangers
plundered the fruits of his labour.
No one extend kindness to him
or
took pity on his fatherless children.
His descendants were cut off,
their
names were blotted out from the next
generation.
The iniquity of his fathers is
remembered
before
you, O Lord;
the
sin of his mother will never be blotted out.
Their sins will always remain
before the Lord.
He
will cut off the memory of them from
the
earth.
And so the Scripture as
fulfilled
which
the Holy Spirit spoke long ago
through the mouth of David
concerning
Judas who served as a guide
for
those who arrested Jesus.
Judas never thought of doing a
kindness,
but
hounded to death the poor
and
the needy and the brokenhearted.
When Mary took about a pint of
pure nard,
an
expensive perfume;
she poured it on your feet
and
wiped your feet with her hair.
And the house was filled
with
the fragrance of the perfume.
But Judas Iscariot, who was
later to betray you,
objected,
“Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money
given
to the poor?
It
was worth a year’s wages.’”
He
did not say this because he cared about the
poor
but
because he was a thief.
As keeper of the money bag,
he
used to help himself to what was put into it.
He loved to pronounce a curse—
but
it came back on him;
he found no pleasure in
blessing—
it
was far from him.
He wore cursing as his garment;
it
entered into his body like water,
into
his bones like oil.
It was like a cloak wrapped
about him,
like
a belt tied forever around him.
This was the Lord’s payment to
your accusers,
to
those who spoke evil of you.
Yet even as you hung on the
cross
suffering
the consequence of Judas’ betrayal,
you offered up prayers and
petitions
with
loud cries and tears
to the one who could save you
from death,
and
you were heard because of your reverent
submission:
“But you, O Sovereign LORD,
deal
well with me for your name’s sake;
out
of the goodness of your love,
deliver me from the grave.
For I am poor and needy,
and
my heart is wounded within me.
I fade away like an evening
shadow;
I
am shaken off like a locust.
My knees give way from fasting;
my
body is thin and gaunt.
I am an object of scorn to my
accusers;
when
they see me, they shake their heads.
Help me, O LORD my God;
save
me in accordance with your love.
Let them know that it is your
hand,
that
you, O LORD, have done it.
They may curse, but you will
bless;
when
they attack they will be put to shame,
but
your servant will rejoice.
My accusers will be clothed
with disgrace
and
wrapped in shame as in a cloak.
With my mouth I will greatly
extol the LORD;
in
the great throng of heaven I will praise him.
For he stands at the right hand
of the needy one,
to
save his life from those who condemn
him.”
O
Jesus, to this you have called me,
because
you suffered for me,
leaving me an example,
that
I should follow in your steps.
You
committed no sin,
nor
was deceit found in your mouth.
When
they hurled their insults at you
you
did not retaliate,
when
you suffered,
you
made no threats to them.
Instead, you
entrusted yourself to your Father who
judges
justly.
Thank you Jesus, for you,
yourself bore my sins
in your body on the tree,
so
that I might die to sins
and
live for righteousness;
by your wounds I have been
healed.
1Pet. 2:21 To this you were called, because Christ
suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in
his mouth.” 23 When they
hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no
threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself
bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live
for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed
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Psalm 109 Prayed
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