Today’s Gospel Reading is John 13:21-32, Jesus is having the Passover dinner in the upper room with his disciples. It’s a little bittersweet and sometimes I would just like to avoid this passage. But we can’t, there are too many lessons for us to learn. Lessons about love and friendship, lessons about choices, lessons about love and betrayal, lessons about how Jesus responds to both and lessons about us. Recall how Judas had been with Jesus at the home of Lazarus. Think about how uneasy Jesus might have been knowing that this disciple was going to turn him over to enemies. What was his purpose of saying someone was going to betray him? I am drawn to these kinds of questions and I see Simon Peter’s question: Who is it?
Was Simon Peter concerned it might be himself? Doubtful. Was Simon Peter going to attempt to do something about it? I don’t know from this passage.
Who is it? Sometimes friends betray friends and there is nothing we can do about it, even when we know who the betrayer is. It’s important to realize what kind of betrayal this passage is talking about, this isn’t the kind of betrayal most of us might be familiar with, We are used to hearing about betrayal in terms of someone leaving a relationship for someone else, or breaking a confidence, but this betrayal? This betrayal means that a fellow disciple and friend is going to turn someone over to an enemy. Bittersweet, wouldn’t you agree?
Now we understand why Jesus taught his disciples earlier in their relationship to discern the spirit working through a person. What a heart wrenching moment and no one stops Judas. Does this make Jesus weak? Does this mean God betrayed Jesus? Does this mean God in Christ betrayed himself or us? No, not at all, none of those statements are correct. Judas betrays Jesus.
Keep your eyes, mind, heart and soul focused on Jesus through the rest of this week. Pay attention to the actions of the disciples and how Jesus responds to them. Decide what kind of disciple you are going to be. One who remains true and faithful to Jesus, or one who betrays him by betraying his followers into the hands of his enemies in this generation. There is always time to repent and reconcile, to choose to be faithful to God by not betraying Jesus’ friends and followers.
Let us pray,
Lord God, thank you for this lesson and for revealing your truth and love in this meal. Lord, please grant us the gift of Holy Discernment. Please, pour out your Holy Spirit upon all men, women and children as you have promised. Please help those who are ignorant of your truths about how God loves all people and desires no one perish, to learn this truth and amend their ways. Strengthen people in their faith and witness to the good plans and way of life for them, plans to prosper and not to harm. Help people learn how to prosper in love and peace without harming one another. We ask this Lord, for the sake of a more heavenly peace on this earth. AMEN
