Reflection for Wednesday of Holy Week in Covid-19 Land, 2020
The Reading
John 13:21-32 New Revised Standard
Version (NRSV)
21 After saying this
Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you
will betray me.” 22 The disciples looked at one another,
uncertain of whom he was speaking. 23 One of his disciples—the
one whom Jesus loved—was reclining next to him; 24 Simon Peter
therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. 25 So
while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus
answered, “It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped
it in the dish.”[a] So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave
it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot.[b] 27 After he received the piece of
bread,[c] Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “Do
quickly what you are going to do.” 28 Now no one at the table
knew why he said this to him. 29 Some thought that, because
Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the
festival”; or, that he should give something to the poor. 30 So,
after receiving the piece of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.
Reflection
Who was Judas Iscariot?
What did he actually do and what motivated
him to do it?
There is a lot of debate about that.
Did Judas betray Jesus, or organise to
hand him over?
The Greek word can be and is
translated either way.
They kind of sound the same but can
have very different meanings.
And why did he do it?
Certainly, John describes Judas as a
deeply flawed and sinful person, driven by greed.
It would appear John thinks Judas
should never have been a disciple in the first place.
Bad choice Jesus!
Others see Judas as more complex
-
A true disciple
who slowly became disenchanted with the whole thing
-
A revolutionary
who by betraying Jesus wanted to provoke an armed uprising
-
A disciple who
was deeply concerned about where the support for Jesus was going and wanted to
prevent an armed uprising like the one that came thirty years later and led to
the destruction of Jerusalem, the temple, the Jewish homeland.
In all these we see a man who acted
with what he thought were the best intentions and was then overwhelmed by guilt
and grief.
There is one last interpretation of
Judas among some authors and scholars.
It was the interpretation that was
portrayed in the Last Temptation of Christ, that came out a very long time ago.
In this movie Judas was the only
disciple that both understood what Jesus was talking about, and who loved him
enough to go beyond his own fears to hand Jesus over,
-
not betray,
so that all that Jesus had talked
about and the divine plan could be fulfilled.
Because
only when Jesus is handed over can the power of death and evil in the world be
broken,
-
and humanity be
reminded of wo we are
-
be freed to live
in Divine Love.
It is a really interesting way of
understanding Judas.
I wonder how you understand Judas and
why he did what he did?
However we understand him,
at the end he was overcome with guilt
and remorse,
and could see no way out.
He was not at the cross to hear Jesus
say “father forgive them for they know not what they are doing.”
I believe that despite how we
understand Judas, he was forgiven
Because we are all forgiven
As Paul says, as our prayer book repeats
“God’s love is shown to us
While we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us”
Nothing can separate us from that
love.
In that love we are forgiven
We do nothing to earn or deserve that
love or forgiveness
That is what the Jesus story is about
In part – reminding us that we are
loved and forgiven
Invite us to live out of that love
Rather than guilt
We began this week on Monday with the
story of Mary.
I
suspect that many of us would like to be like Mary.
-
Trusting,
-
loyal,
-
passionate,
-
ready to step
outside of social conventions in our desire to serve Jesus.
And at times we are.
But we are also like Judas, however we
understand Judas.
Like all the disciples who so often
got it wrong
Who at the end fled, denied, hid.
We too are complex.
Sometimes getting it right.
Sometimes with the best of intentions we
get it really wrong.
And sometimes we just plan get it
wrong.
And like Judas, we are forgiven
Every time and always forgiven
And invited to learn and live into
that love and forgiveness
If we were having this reflection as
normal in church at our evening reflection, we would be offering a time of
sacramental confession.
A time to remember that we are forgiven.
We can’t do that this year, which is fine.
Instead I invite you at some point
this day
to take a piece of bread,
and as you hold it in your hand
to place yourself at that last meal.
As you hold that bread what are the areas
of your life you need to know God’s forgiveness
Pray about that
And when you are ready
Symbolically receive the bread from
Jesus and eat it
As you eat
Hear the words of absolution
God forgives you
Forgive others
Forgive yourself
Most High and glorious God,
enlighten the darkness of our hearts
and give us a true faith,
a certain hope and a perfect love.
Give us a sense of the divine
and knowledge of yourself
so that we may do everything
in fulfilment of your holy will;
through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The
Prayer before the crucifix, Francis of Assisi
Comments