Lent: Day 20

When Jesus had said this, he was troubled in spirit, and said, “One of you will betray me.”

The disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom he spoke. John was at the table, leaning against Jesus’ breast. Simon Peter beckoned to him, and said, “Tell us who it is of whom he speaks.”

Leaning as he was on Jesus’ breast, John asked, “Lord, who is it?”

Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. After the piece of bread, Satan entered into him.

Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”

No one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus said to him, “Buy what things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. Having received the morsel, Judas went out immediately into the night.

When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will do so soon. Little children, I will be with you a little while longer. You will seek me, and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you can’t come,’ so now I tell you. A new commandment I give you that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also love one another. By this everyone will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Reflection

 

Jesus knew he would be betrayed and who would betray him, but none of the others did. It is tempting to imagine Judas as the ultimate villain, but that is not the way the disciples saw him. Have you ever been surprised to discover the dark side of someone you respected and admired? How aware are you of your own dark side? 

Prayer: Keep me honest, Lord, that I might never imagine evil of others without imagining it of myself as well.