“After sunset, he and the Twelve were sitting around the table. During the meal, he said, “I have something hard but important to say to you: One of you is going to hand me over to the conspirators.”

Most of us avoid and dislike having to have a hard talk with someone.  It’s uncomfortable and we will do what we have to do to not have the conversation. But, when we do have these hard talks it is then that most good actions happen.  Many times people lose their jobs because no one would sit down with them and have the hard talk about their performance or behavior.  When they are fired they are surprised and will ask, “Why didn’t anyone tell me this before?”  They are right and we owe it to others to have the hard talks.  When we don’t we are not really telling the full truth to someone and we are potentially robbing from them a way to improve.  The best organizations are those where the culture supports the hard talk and people can expect to be told the unvarnished truth.

It must have been hard for the Disciples to hear what Jesus told them at the Last Supper.  He didn’t gloss over the truth and He didn’t pull any punches with letting them know what was going to happen next.  We don’t have an account of all of the reactions in the room, but I am sure that there were those who wanted to put their fingers in their ears and hum to themselves so they didn’t have to hear what Jesus was telling them. We have to be able to have the hard talks and we have to be willing to hear the hard talk when it is directed to us.  Jesus never said any of this was going to be easy.  He always told us that the way to Him would be hard in giving up ourselves to Him.  But once we do, all the hard talk becomes just more of how He is shaping us to be ready to be with Him.  Holding this close as a promise is a great way to go into this weekend!

Reference: Matthew 26: 20-21 (The Message Version)