Category: Uncategorized

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Gospel: Matthew 26: 14-25

One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot,
went to the chief priests and said,
“What are you willing to give me
if I hand him over to you?”
They paid him thirty pieces of silver,
and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
the disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Where do you want us to prepare
for you to eat the Passover?”
He said,
“Go into the city to a certain man and tell him,
‘The teacher says, “My appointed time draws near;
in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.””‘
The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered,
and prepared the Passover.

When it was evening,
he reclined at table with the Twelve.
And while they were eating, he said,
“Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”
Deeply distressed at this,
they began to say to him one after another,
“Surely it is not I, Lord?”
He said in reply,
“He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me
is the one who will betray me.
The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him,
but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed.
It would be better for that man if he had never been born.”
Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply,
“Surely it is not I, Rabbi?”
He answered, “You have said so.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“Surely, it is not I, Lord?”

It’s easy for us to villainize Judas Iscariot over that one wretched decision he made.

But, at the same time, we might wonder, “Was Judas a true villain or just a divine pawn?” If scripture was to be fulfilled, then someone had to betray Jesus.

Perhaps Judas just filled the spot. Unlike Mary, he was not filled with divine grace; rather, he was the one elected to draw the short, sinful straw.

As the Lord says to him, “Judas, go quickly and do what you have to do.” That sounds more like a command than a choice. 

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Consider why Judas did what he did. Some speculate it was out of greed. But thirty lousy pieces of silver seems a bit insignificant to me. A more likely reason was that Judas felt betrayed first; Christ did not pan out to be the person Judas thought he’d be.

Earlier in the Gospels, we hear about all of the disciples arguing over seats of honor and titles in Christ’s kingdom. They all hoped Jesus would be an earthly king, and they his glorious advisors.

Even after his resurrection, Jesus appears to two of his disciples who are leaving Jerusalem, who unknowingly share their grief with him, saying disappointingly, “We thought he would be the one to redeem Israel.” 

There was a dark mark of disappointment in the hearts of them all, not just Judas.

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This begs the question: was Judas beyond divine forgiveness?

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Just before he dies, the Lord washes Judas’ feet and feeds him with his very Self. Then Jesus gives them all this command: “Love one another as I have loved you.”

It’s in the very nature of love to forgive. Thus, Christ must have been thinking about Judas, as well, when he cried out, exhausted and bloodied, “Father, forgive them! They know not what they do!” 

Forgive him. Forgive them. Forgive us all.

For every time we, too, have turned away from the Lord, each in our own way, “Father, forgive us. We know not what we do.”

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Image credits: (1) Physician Burnout (2) Judas’ Remorse, Almeida Júnior (3) Family Foundations Institute

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Gospel: John 13: 21-38

Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified,
“Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”
The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant.
One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved,
was reclining at Jesus’ side.
So Simon Peter nodded to him to find out whom he meant.
He leaned back against Jesus’ chest and said to him,
“Master, who is it?”
Jesus answered,
“It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it.”
So he dipped the morsel and took it and handed it to Judas,
son of Simon the Iscariot.
After Judas took the morsel, Satan entered him.
So Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”
Now none of those reclining at table realized why he said this to him.
Some thought that since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus had told him,
“Buy what we need for the feast,”
or to give something to the poor.
So Judas took the morsel and left at once. And it was night.

When he had left, Jesus said,
“Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself,
and he will glorify him at once.
My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.
You will look for me, and as I told the Jews,
‘Where I go you cannot come,’ so now I say it to you.”

Simon Peter said to him, “Master, where are you going?”
Jesus answered him,
“Where I am going, you cannot follow me now,
though you will follow later.”
Peter said to him,
“Master, why can I not follow you now?
I will lay down my life for you.”
Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me?
Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow
before you deny me three times.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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In days gone by, nations would erect large stone walls around the border of their city in order to protect their citizens from foreign armies who might attack them. Anyone who lived within the city walls was considered safe, a trusted member of society.

Thus, the greatest dread would be an enemy who attacked his own people from within. Against such a threat, there was no immediate protection.

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We all know how the story of Christ’s life ends, and because of that, we tend to imagine Judas Iscariot being the suspicious one, the renegade, the one on the fringe of this intimate circle of trust.

But that’s not the case.

If the disciples didn’t trust Judas, or if they had any inkling of his sinister plans, then they would’ve know right away whom Jesus was talking about when he said, “One of you will betray me.”

But they didn’t. Judas was the enemy within the walls. 

Tragically, the decision Judas makes that night will have a devastating ripple effect. Within a matter of hours, nearly everyone Jesus loves will follow suit and betray him.

Peter denies knowing Jesus while he cowers in fear, warming his hands by a fire. The other disciples run off into the night. The crowds who shout, “Hosanna! Hail to the King!” on Palm Sunday switch their tune to, “Crucify him!” on Good Friday.

Christ’s own people, some of whom must’ve witnessed his miraculous power, chose Barabbas, a murderous loser, over their long-awaited king.

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The terrible and sensitive wisdom written into the final hours of Christ’s life is the truth that, under the right conditions, we human beings are capable of turning on those whom we love the most – friends, family, even God.

Suddenly, you discover a long-time business partner has been stealing company funds. A spouse’s well-kept secret is exposed. An adult child suddenly splits from the family circle.

But the Lord carries his cross to Calvary for that very reason – not only to die in our place, absolving our weaknesses, but also to receive pardon from our Father.

Christ Crucified, have mercy on us.

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Image credits: (1) Medium (2) Catholic 365 (3) Christ Carrying the Cross, El Greco, Metropolitan Museum of Art

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Gospel: John 12: 1-11

Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany,
where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served,
while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him.
Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil
made from genuine aromatic nard
and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair;
the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
Then Judas the Iscariot, one of his disciples,
and the one who would betray him, said,
“Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages
and given to the poor?”
He said this not because he cared about the poor
but because he was a thief and held the money bag
and used to steal the contributions.
So Jesus said, “Leave her alone.
Let her keep this for the day of my burial.
You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

The large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came,
not only because of him, but also to see Lazarus,
whom he had raised from the dead.
And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too,
because many of the Jews were turning away
and believing in Jesus because of him.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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We’ve entered Monday of Holy Week. Jesus is days away from his death.

So, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus extended a timely dinner invitation, thanking him for all he’s done in their lives, most notably for raising Lazarus from the dead!

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Each person shows their gratitude in different ways.

Lazarus opens his home. Martha prepares and serves the meal. Mary spends all she has on a costly bottle of perfume, pouring it over Jesus’ feet, wiping them with her hair.

Three different gestures with the same message: thank you.

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Holy Week teaches us many things about God, human nature, and the Christian life. But the first lesson on Monday morning is simple: Be grateful.

Think of the Lord, the people, and the blessings he’s brought into your life.

Then, in your own way, give thanks.

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Image credits: (1) America Forever Flags, WalMart (2) Ordinary People Extraordinary God, The Alabaster Jar (3) iStock