April 7
Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I betray him to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.
On the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?” He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is near; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’” So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover meal.
When it was evening, he took his place with the twelve; and while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” And they became greatly distressed and began to say to him one after another, “Surely not I, Lord?” He answered, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born.” Judas, who betrayed him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” He replied, “You have said so.”
While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
-Matthew 26:14-30
(please read through the passage 3 times using the practice of lectio divina)
Reflection
Immediately after the account of the woman who poured out an expensive ointment for Jesus, Judas betrays him for a relatively small sum. Judas doesn’t bother to conceal his treachery from himself or others. He brazenly asks, “How much can I get if I betray him?” Then, when Jesus predicts his betrayal, Judas, already with the money in hand (looking him in the eye?), asks, “Surely not I Rabbi?”
Jesus does not minimize the horror of Judas’ betrayal. While the cross is Christ’s destiny, it does not remove the responsibility from Judas. For Judas to hand over his Lord to torture and death is a monstrous act. The act is so serious that Jesus declares it would have been better if Judas had never been born.
And yet. And yet. Is the following reading too naive and hopeful? As Jesus serves the cup to his disciples he says “Drink from it, all of you . . . for the forgiveness of sins.” Is Jesus enacting his teaching in the Sermon on the Mount that “Blessed are the merciful?”
Action (Lament)
Like Judas, we as Christians have done much to betray God’s purposes. As a group we haven’t lived the Sermon on the Mount in a way that makes others curious about the presence of God’s kingdom in this world. Write a paragraph about how you have contributed to this failure. When you are done, kneel and say the words to Christ, “Surely it is I, Lord.” Let your honest confession and lament serve as a way that you love God today.
The Feet of Judas by George Marion McClellan (continue)