Isaiah 49:1-6 / John 13:21-33, 36-38
Whenever we talk about change, we are certainly implying and hoping that the change will be for the better.
But very often the main obstacle to a change for the better is sin.
And that sin is expressed in many ways - pride, arrogance, selfishness, obstinacy, greed.
In fact, we might as well include all the seven capital sins that would be obstacles to a change for the better.
But our faith and hope in God also tells us that He would not let these sinful obstacles remain there always.
In the gospel, we heard that while at supper with His disciples, Jesus was troubled in spirit and He declared that one of His disciples would betray Him.
He knew who it was and in the setting of the sacred meal, He had hoped that Judas would change his direction and not carry out his sinister deed.
Although it was of no avail, yet it also awoken in the disciples that they were not of one heart and mind and that sin was lurking in the midst of one of them.
Jesus spoke out against that sin of betrayal. He was not going to let sin remain hidden and lurking around and make victims out of His disciples.
And Jesus is not going to let sin make us its victims too. But it is for us to expose the sin. And Jesus will help us handle the rest. Then there can be change for the better.