At the Last Supper

The Last Supper

Today is Holy Thursday – a day we commemorate the Last Supper. Just a few days ago, during the liturgy, we heard the Gospel of John 13:21-33, 36-38. It reads:

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.”

At first glance, the words “satan entered him” jumped out at me. I don’t know about you, but when I think of Judas Iscariot and his betrayal of Jesus, I simply think of him as an ungrateful, greedy, evil man. Obviously, anything evil comes from the evil one, but those words serve to magnify the exact moment of Judas’ “conversion.” Just a few passages before, we hear of Judas getting upset when Mary used expensive performed oil to anoint Jesus’ feet. He argued that she could have sold it for 300 days wages and given the money to the poor. Was he for real? Would he have given the money to the poor? His greed was obvious. Money was his business.

I don’t believe Judas was created for the role of betrayer. He was one of the 12 for goodness sake! The REAL Judas, the Judas God intended would never have desired nor been able to betray Jesus. Yet Satan was able to enter him. How? He let down his guard. His greed crept in and temptation weakened his defenses. He lost his focus on what was really important! A lesson to all of us to STAY AWAKE!

Betrayal is not the only theme of this Gospel. It seems that denial is as well. Notice how all the Apostles reacted when Jesus said one of them would betray him. No one thought they were capable. They all went on the defensive. No one wanted to admit that they might be capable of betraying Jesus. Did they think they were perfect? As much credit as we might want to give the first disciples of Christ, I often think they were just like us. They were in denial of their flaws and brokenness. Like us they struggled with reconciling their humanity with their holiness.

Peter claims he’ll lay down his life for Jesus and yet, when the going gets tough, he denies Jesus three times. Think of the disappointment Jesus must have felt over the betrayal and denial. Disappointed, yes. As a matter of fact, the Gospel says he was troubled but never once do we hear that he was angry or begrudging.

As we approach Holy Thursday and continue through the Triduum to Easter, let us follow Christ on the road to Calvary. Let’s make it a time of complete surrender and mercy. Think of people in your life – the Judas’ and the Peters; look in the mirror and contemplate how you might be a present day Judas or Peter; think of the “places” in your life that make you feel agony similar to that felt by Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. In all these things, pray for the strength and courage to accept God’s will as Jesus did – no matter what comes. Pray for the compassion and mercy to forgive as Jesus forgave just before he died on the cross. Lastly, look forward to a new life in Christ as you enter into the Spring season and receive the message of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday!