Isaiah 49:1-6
John 13:21-33,36-38
While at supper with his disciples, Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared, ‘I tell you most solemnly, one of you will betray me.
In today’s Gospel the mood intensifies. We can easily imagine the scene of Jesus sharing a meal with his disciples. When film producers portray this they build the drama with music and dramatic pauses. I always imagine it as a sultry night.
Meals are intimate occasions. Friendships can be deepened and difficulties healed through the sharing of food. They can also highlight discord and deepen rifts. In this meal the figure of Judas comes into full focus for us. It’s uncomfortable and leaves me unsettled. I am always left wondering what motivated Judas. There seems a certain inevitability about the events that will unfold. His fate seems sealed:
As soon as Judas had taken the piece of bread he went out. Night had fallen.
This always chills me. In John’s Gospel there is a play between light and darkness, sight and blindness. The very next lines in the text are ‘now has the Son of man been glorified’. There is no portrayal of a victim here. Jesus is in control. That God’s glory is to be revealed through suffering is our focus now, to this we cling.
Imagine the scene.
Do you follow Judas out into the night?
Or do you stay sitting at the table?
How is God speaking to you through this scene?