Lenten Reflection | Day 37

Esther McCurry

We encourage you to read the passage before engaging the reflection. Click on the reference below.

Isaiah 50:4-9 | John 13:21-32

Esther McCurry

Today in our Lenten journey, we come to Jesus’ betrayal. It’s a story we likely know well, if we’ve been around church for a while. Jesus and his disciples are together in Jerusalem, celebrating the Passover. While the meal was in progress (John 13:2), Jesus begins to wash his disciples’ feet. And then Scripture tells us that “Jesus was troubled in spirit” — he must break the news to his disciples that one of them is going to betray him. Naturally, the disciples are confused. Like my children, who send the youngest and cutest among them (our 7-year-old Elijah) to ask if we can have dessert on a non—dessert night, Peter sends John, “the disciple whom Jesus loved”, to ask Jesus what he means. And Jesus clarifies — one of them, one of the men eating with them that night, is the betrayer.

And then, Jesus does something at first glance that might seem confusing—he tells the disciples that “it is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” The next verse then says, “Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas.” From our vantage point, it looks like a dead giveaway. Jesus says the betrayer is the one he gives the bread to and then he gives the bread to Judas. Why don’t the other disciples rush on Judas right there? Why don’t they stop him from going out and doing what he arranged to do with the Jewish leaders?

What we might miss in the story is that Jesus gives the bread to all his disciples. Matthew, Mark and Luke (called the Synoptic Gospels because they tell the story of Jesus’ life in similar linear manner) all record that “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying ‘Take it; this is my body’” (Mark 14:22). In his account, John wants to highlight Judas’ private moment with Jesus, when Judas is offered his portion of the Passover bread. Between the two of them, Jesus reveals to Judas that he knows Judas is the betrayer, that Judas has allowed the Deceiver to tempt him (John 13:2). And in that moment, he tells Judas, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” Why does Jesus tell Judas to do it quickly? Is it to rip the Band-Aid off, so to speak? To get the pain of a friend’s betrayal over and done with as quickly as possible? Did Jesus know from the beginning of his ministry that Judas would betray him? As they were walking from village to village, healing, ministering, and serving together, did Jesus know the man next to him would break his heart? Or did God reveal it slowly, over time? Or just in this final moment?

We don’t know the answers to these questions. But unfortunately, I’m guessing each of us does know the pain of a friend’s betrayal. And, even more sadly, all of us have been Judas ourselves, turning our back on Jesus, rejecting him and breaking his heart. But what we see in this passage is that Jesus, even knowing what he knew, still invited Judas to be with him at the end of his life. He still washed Judas’ feet and broke bread with him. He loved Judas to the end, just as he loves you and me.

Today, let’s take a moment to confess the times we’ve been (or still are) like Judas and receive with open hands the salvation and forgiveness offered to us from our Savior, Jesus.