Going Out Into the Night

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Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Now Jesus was deeply troubled, and he exclaimed, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me!”  The disciples looked at each other, wondering whom he could mean.  The disciple Jesus loved was sitting next to Jesus at the table.  Simon Peter motioned to him to ask, “Who’s he talking about?”  So that disciple leaned over to Jesus and asked, “Lord, who is it?”  Jesus responded, “It is the one to whom I give the bread I dip in the bowl.”  And when he had dipped it, he gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot.  When Judas had eaten the bread, Satan entered into him.  Then Jesus told him, “Hurry and do what you’re going to do.”  None of the others at the table knew what Jesus meant.  Since Judas was their treasurer, some thought Jesus was telling him to go and pay for the food or to give some money to the poor.  So Judas left at once, going out into the night.  As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, “The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him.  And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will give his own glory to the Son, and he will do so at once.  John 13:21-32

I always worried about that exchange of bread; Jesus dipped the bread into the bowl, gave it to Judas intentionally, and then John (an eyewitness) records Satan entered into him.  My mind goes to possibilities such as whether Jesus caused Judas’ fall.  Did Judas know what he was doing?  Was he somehow duped into betraying Jesus?  Was Judas just a pawn in God’s game? 

But all these questions work against free will.  At the moment Jesus held forth the piece of bread to Judas it was still an offer of friendship; one man holding forth the gift of sustenance to another.  On a deeper level, the bread was the symbol Jesus had used earlier…the bread of life, which was being offered; Jesus was saying, my life is in your hands, brother.  This makes receiving the bread truly, as Jesus’ friend, or falsely, as traitor, a ball that was still in Judas’ court.  When Judas took the bread with betrayal still in his heart, it opened the path to his soul for Satan to take charge.  Inviting that, Judas went out into the night.

The epilogue to Judas’ treachery could’ve been written differently had his heart been bathed in repentance for even thinking of selling Jesus to the religious leaders for 30 pieces of silver.  Later Apostle Paul would write about this moment taking place in the hearts of would-be followers of Jesus:

So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.  That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup.  For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself.  That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.  1 Corinthians 11:27-30

It gives a whole new perspective on the importance of communion to think in these ways about the possibility of our own connection with Judas when we treat God’s loaf and cup lightly. 

The opportunities are only two:

           ·      Life in the light of Christ

           ·      Death going out into the night.

For You Today

Sometimes “holy week” can turn our attention to details that miss the weighty center of what God is doing.  We can scurry around getting ready for the Easter parade, bonnets, colored eggs, and such, when the real target is eternal life.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[i] Title Image:   Judas being paid - Capella dei Scrovegni - Padua (Public Domain - via Wikimedia Commons)

[ii] Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from The New Living Translation©

Holy Week on Wednesday

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                                                                                                  Wednesday, March 23, 2016

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Now Jesus was deeply troubled, and he exclaimed, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me!”  The disciples looked at each other, wondering whom he could mean.  The disciple Jesus loved was sitting next to Jesus at the table.   Simon Peter motioned to him to ask, “Who’s he talking about?”  So that disciple leaned over to Jesus and asked, “Lord, who is it?”  Jesus responded, “It is the one to whom I give the bread I dip in the bowl.”  And when he had dipped it, he gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot.  When Judas had eaten the bread, Satan entered into him.  Then Jesus told him, “Hurry and do what you’re going to do.”  None of the others at the table knew what Jesus meant.  Since Judas was their treasurer, some thought Jesus was telling him to go and pay for the food or to give some money to the poor.  So Judas left at once, going out into the night.    John 13:21-30^(NLT) 

Going out into the night; what an ominous phrase that is, considering what we know about Judas on this side of history.  He went dark that night, but it certainly didn’t begin that night!  As the treasurer, Judas had given into the lure of money well before accepting 30 pieces of silver to betray the Son of God with a kiss.

When Jesus declared that one would betray him, it was Judas who asked, is it I?[2]  The fact that Judas surrendered to Satan’s will at the supper brings more ominous thoughts. 

Paul tells us:

So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.  That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup.  For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself.  That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died. 

1 Corinthians 11:27-30^(NLT)

Examine yourself!  Notice, however, Paul did not write:  Examine others!  This Supper is intensely personal. 

However praying for others is certainly appropriate as the Body of Christ prepares to share one loaf and one cup – the one body and blood of her Lord.  Judas had been stealing for some time from the disciples’ purse; I can’t help but sense that, while we cannot know everything about each of those with whom we worship, constant prayer offered for our brothers and sisters would save many a potential Judas.

One of my prayers at the table is:  Lord, is it I…have I slipped into betrayal?  Search me, Lord; bring to my mind even the smallest detail; help me clear my heart before You.

When one serves communion it is impossible to miss the myriad of diverse faces before you, as you look people in the eye and declare:   the body of Christ, given for you. 

Mostly there is that smile, eyes then lowered and a sighed, thanks be to God.  Often there is a nod of acceptance, or a simple, humble look of gratitude. 

Sometimes there is a worried or confused look – and at such times my prayer is immediate for the one before me:

Father, grant her victory in whatever burden she faces; grant him peace.

While the Bible’s many stories of victory and overcoming faith are there to help us, inspire us, and lead us to stronger faith, the Judas stories are there to warn us, and help keep us from repeating unbelief and rebellion, or worse, indifference towards God.

While we do not celebrate the Lord’s Supper every day, we do eat several times a day.  Taking a moment before a meal to offer thanks can fall into a habitual ritual; but it doesn’t have to – not if you take the time as you prepare to eat to examine yourself for signs of going out into the night.  

For You Today

Holy Week – Holy Day today – Holy meal…every time.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today…and have a blessed day!

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[1] Title Image:  By Andrew A. Shenouda from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (It's the Holy Week!), via Wikimedia Commons

[2] Matthew 26:25