Readings: Isaiah 49:1-6, Ps. 71:1-6,15,17, John 13:21-33,36-38
“So, after receiving the morsel, he immediately went out; and it was night. When he had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now is the Son of man glorified, and in him God is glorified.’” (John 13:30-31)
The chief priests and Pharisees wanted Jesus dead, but there was one problem: they couldn’t arrest Jesus in the open. They sent the temple guards to arrest Jesus, but the guards returned to say: “No man has ever spoken like this.” On other occasions, they tried to arrest Jesus, but he escaped by slipping through the crowds. They were left with just one option: to get Jesus at night. The problem now was identifying Jesus amid the twelve under the cover of darkness. It would be a terrible mistake if one of the disciples were arrested instead of Jesus. To get Jesus, they needed an insider.
The chief priests must have been shocked when a disciple of Jesus came to them to say: “What will you give me if I deliver him to you?” Without wasting time, “they paid him thirty pieces of silver.” (Cf. Matthew 26:14-15). As Jesus would say, any kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. (Cf. Mark 3:24). The moment Judas aligned with the enemy, it was easy to penetrate the camp of the disciples. Jesus said: “He who is not with me is against me…” Judas Iscariot was not with Jesus, and his betrayal was never sudden. He went through several stages:
Stage One—Dissatisfaction with God: Judas's complaint that Mary was wasting the ointment shows that He did not value Jesus highly. Betrayal begins with disrespect for God, which leads to skipping prayers, taking spiritual exercises for granted, or criticising God’s commandments. Scriptures teach that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. When I am no longer afraid of God, I am already on the way to betrayal.
Stage Two – Talking to the Enemy: Dissatisfaction with God pushes us to negotiate with the enemy. This is the talking stage; we listen to the lies of the devil about God, and we start considering what the devil has to offer us. Before meeting the chief priests, Judas had already negotiated with the devil, who made him believe that Jesus could not give him the kind of money the chief priests would offer. At this talking stage, I find myself listening more to those who hate God, thereby gradually making room for the devil in my heart.
Stage Three – Pretending to Be Jesus’ Disciple: Judas Iscariot behaved as if all was well even after collecting money. When others were asking: “Is it I who will betray you?” Judas joined in the chorus. Judas did not realise Jesus was giving him a last chance to repent. At this third stage, we are still very active in church for fear of being labelled as an enemy, but religious activities no longer make sense. We even stop listening to God. Having negotiated with the devil, we start negotiating with our conscience. What matters to us now is what people say rather than what God thinks.
Stage Four – Decision to Surrender: Pretending forever is impossible. While sitting on the fence, we must fall eventually to one side. Either we surrender to God (repent and retrace our steps), or we surrender to the devil (proceed with evil intentions). The moment Judas took the bread from Jesus and ate (an act of love) that would have been the moment to return love to Jesus, but he didn’t. John tells us that Satan entered him, ie. Judas was no longer himself. A similar thing happened to Peter when he attempted to discourage Jesus from the Way of the Cross. Jesus addressed him as “Satan.” (Cf. Matthew 16:23, Mark 8:33).
Stage Five – Reconciliation Versus Despair: Having done the damage, having allowed ourselves to be used by the devil, having betrayed Jesus, the scales fall from our eyes. We realise what we have done, and we become ashamed of ourselves. It dawns on us that there was no value in the things we were pursuing and that the devil was lying to us. We feel empty and cannot look at Jesus in the face. Nevertheless, this is the point where we either beg for forgiveness or lose hope like Judas.
Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, teach me to re-write my destiny by making the right choices. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Tuesday of Holy Week. Bible Study: Isaiah 49:1-6, Ps. 71:1-6,15,17, John 13:21-33,36-38).
@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu