When Love Feels Costly
Tuesday of Holy Week
John 13:21–33, 36–38
Today’s Gospel places us right in the middle of a deeply human moment at the Last Supper. Jesus is troubled in spirit. He knows betrayal is near. Jesus knows Peter—full of passion and good intentions—will deny him before dawn. And yet, Jesus stays at the table. He keeps loving. He keeps giving himself away.
Holy Week often brings us face-to-face with the uncomfortable truth that discipleship isn’t neat or predictable. Even those closest to Jesus—those who walked with him, learned from him, loved him—struggled to remain faithful when fear and pressure closed in. Judas turns away. Peter falters. The others scatter. And Jesus, knowing all of this, continues to pour out love.
There’s something incredibly comforting about that. Jesus doesn’t love us because we always get it right. Jesus loves us knowing our weaknesses, our inconsistencies, our moments of fear and confusion. He sees the whole truth of who we are and chooses to stay.
But there’s also a gentle challenge here. Jesus invites us to keep walking with him even when discipleship feels costly, even when we don’t feel strong, even when we’re painfully aware of our imperfections. Peter’s story reminds us that failure isn’t the end—Jesus will meet Peter again on the shore after the Resurrection and restore him. Judas’s story reminds us that turning inward, isolating ourselves, or hiding our struggles can lead us away from the healing Jesus longs to give.
As we move deeper into Holy Week, Jesus asks us not for perfection but for honesty. Not for flawless discipleship but for a heart willing to stay close to him, even in the shadows. Jesus invites us to trust that his love is bigger than our failures and that he can transform even our weakest moments into grace.
You are invited to reflect today about where do you feel tempted to pull away from Jesus because of fear, shame, or discouragement? How is Jesus inviting you to stay close to him this week, even if you feel imperfect or unprepared?
Lord Jesus,
You know my heart more fully than I know it myself.
Stay with me in my weakness and draw me close
when I am tempted to turn away.
Give me the courage to walk with you through this
Holy Week with honesty, trust, and love.
Amen.