St John 13:21-32
Have you ever read this particular passage carefully? I suspect we all read it from the perspective of we know Judas is the baddy, therefore, all that is happening is the gospel writer is re-affirming it with this story. Read it again. There’s obviously some uncertainty about the loyalty of one of the twelve and naturally to ensure they are not under suspicion some ask who. One of the disciples is going to betray Jesus; this they all know: Peter asks John, who is it? John then asks Jesus, who is it? We are informed it is the one who will be the recipient of the morsel of bread Jesus will pass on after he has dipped it. So we are told Judas is the betrayer, the one the previous reading in this series had told us he was a thief. There is a picture being painted here. Then comes the interesting bit we tend to overlook. Only once Jesus hands Judas Iscariot the morsel does Satan enter him at which point Judas is told to get on with what he has to do.
That is the bit we all overlook. The evil enters into Judas at that point: has it been coming for some time and this was the point of decision, has Judas all along been less than trustworthy? Remember the gospels were written long after the events and must be viewed as being slightly biased in their treatment of Judas, after all, didn’t all the disciples in one way or another betray Jesus by abandoning him? Have you ever wondered, what if, Jesus had not been betrayed by Judas? There it is. Judas needed to betray Jesus for the ensuing events to take place, including crucifixion and resurrection. Did Judas have a choice if it was the will of God is the interesting, almost heretical but terribly relevant question?
Have you ever read this particular passage carefully? I suspect we all read it from the perspective of we know Judas is the baddy, therefore, all that is happening is the gospel writer is re-affirming it with this story. Read it again. There’s obviously some uncertainty about the loyalty of one of the twelve and naturally to ensure they are not under suspicion some ask who. One of the disciples is going to betray Jesus; this they all know: Peter asks John, who is it? John then asks Jesus, who is it? We are informed it is the one who will be the recipient of the morsel of bread Jesus will pass on after he has dipped it. So we are told Judas is the betrayer, the one the previous reading in this series had told us he was a thief. There is a picture being painted here. Then comes the interesting bit we tend to overlook. Only once Jesus hands Judas Iscariot the morsel does Satan enter him at which point Judas is told to get on with what he has to do.
That is the bit we all overlook. The evil enters into Judas at that point: has it been coming for some time and this was the point of decision, has Judas all along been less than trustworthy? Remember the gospels were written long after the events and must be viewed as being slightly biased in their treatment of Judas, after all, didn’t all the disciples in one way or another betray Jesus by abandoning him? Have you ever wondered, what if, Jesus had not been betrayed by Judas? There it is. Judas needed to betray Jesus for the ensuing events to take place, including crucifixion and resurrection. Did Judas have a choice if it was the will of God is the interesting, almost heretical but terribly relevant question?