²¹ After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”

²⁴ Simon Peter motioned to (the beloved) disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.”

²⁵ Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”

²⁶ Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. ²⁷ As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.

So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.”

Such an important meal for the disciples and their Lord! Jesus has been living with the Twelve in a covenant of deep relationship during all of his public ministry. For many people of that period, sharing such a meal together represented an important bond of trust among close friends that should never be broken. Yet here, among his closest companions, sits one who will betray Jesus.

This passage contains both a personal warning and a profound hope for all of us. The warning? Not only was one of the Twelve capable of betraying Jesus to his enemies, but another one there at that meal, adamant about his own faithfulness, would soon deny his Lord as well. Perhaps Peter should have been more concerned about his own heart’s weaknesses than about another’s. Yet we are all like Peter, capable of sin alongside the good. How important it is for each of us to keep ourselves focused firmly on our Lord, that we may not waver in our devotion to him even though others do.

But there is also profound hope here, for it reveals to us God’s ever-seeking love beyond our wildest dreams:  “…having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” (13:1). Jesus did not stop loving Judas when Judas stopped loving him. Jesus took on the role of the lowliest servant in order to serve them all, washing the feet of Judas who would soon lift up his heel against him (v. 18). Jesus shared bread from his own hand with Judas and bid him leave, knowing that Judas was leaving in order to send Jesus to his death with a kiss. Even with that kiss, Jesus still called him “friend” (Mt 26:50).

God calls out to us, wherever we are in our minds, our hearts, or our spirits. Come back to me! I have not given up on you, you are mine if only you will seize life from my nail-scarred hand!

How deeply thankful I am, dear Lord, that despite myself, you pursue me to the ends of the earth with your love, that I might be yours forever.

Author: Mary Spaulding

Other Lenten readings for today:

• Isaiah 50:4-9a
• Hebrews 12:1-3