Judas
“Amen, amen, I say to you: one of you will betray me. 22 The disciples looked at one another, at a loss, because they did not know whom he meant. 23 One of the disciples was reclining next to Jesus; it was the one whom Jesus loved. 24 Simon Peter nodded to him to ask whom Jesus was speaking of. 25 So he leaned back against Jesus’ chest and asked him, ‘Lord, who is it?’ 26 Jesus replied, ‘It is the one to whom I will give the piece of bread that I dip.’ Then he dipped the bread, took it and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 As soon as Judas had taken the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, ‘What you are going to do, do quickly!’
I recently came across this passage about Judas Iscariot and Jesus in my work, and it gave me pause for thought.
Visually, we find ourselves in a room where many disciples are sitting together at a table. The scene is characterised by intimacy and closeness; yet it is also the beginning of the end of Jesus’ ministry on earth. At this point, the shared meal with Jesus – served even by Jesus himself – becomes the trigger for ‘Satan entering him’. Judas Iscariot is the one referred to. Even though the concept of Satan is difficult to convey today, behind the archaic notion of ‘Satan entering’ lies the situation in which Judas will suddenly turn against Jesus. Judas Iscariot will betray Jesus. The soldiers, who have been ordered to bring Jesus to trial, are able to arrest him because Judas tells them where Jesus is staying with his friends. This situation ultimately leads to Jesus’ death.
I find the scene of the shared meal particularly striking. The shared meal provides the setting. But here, eating with Jesus does not become a moment of community-building; rather, it has the opposite effect, at least for Judas.
That gave me pause for thought.
When the Church commemorates this Last Supper scene together during the Eucharistic celebration, the Catholic understanding is that the presence of Christ should be felt. Jesus is to be received into people through the bread. Thus, Communion, the eating of the holy bread, is the place where the aim is to feel connected to Jesus in a special way. Jesus hands out the bread. The Eucharist becomes nourishment for faith in Jesus as the only Son of God; that is the idea behind it.
But this is not automatic. Judas Iscariot is the example described by the Evangelist John: Jesus nourishes, but Judas is no longer with Jesus, but against him. It is precisely this shared meal that gives free rein to the demon Satan. It is Jesus himself who announces to Judas and the others that this will happen: “It is he to whom I will give the morsel of bread that I dip.” The intimate atmosphere of great closeness among the disciples – the beloved disciple resting his head on Jesus’ shoulder – is shattered.
A lump remains in the throat. Perhaps one imagines a tear on the disciples’ faces, or perhaps the hope that it might not happen. Judas is handed the morsel, and thus it is revealed who finds themselves in a particular situation of faith. His prophetic knowledge is decisive here; it is not fortune-telling. The event is decisive for salvation because Jesus will be betrayed in this way; but Judas would have had the opportunity to act differently, precisely because the situation had been foretold.
What is the message behind this text?
Judas is an extreme example; betrayal and intrigue are not usually part of everyday life. And yet there are inner and outer ‘demons’ that may also play a role in my life.
God knows me – that is the central message behind it all, with all my weaknesses and strengths, with all my demons. Judas’ decision to no longer trust Jesus, because political and religious pressure unsettled him and the gold tempted him, are all too human reactions. But precisely because Jesus reveals what he knows, Judas Iscariot would have had the opportunity to change. Jesus knows me, and I am loved – despite everything. Or perhaps precisely because of it?! Nevertheless, Judas’s behaviour led to disaster. God himself is the one who can guide us through the disaster and out of it.
Reflecting on the fact that one’s own life is no longer fully oriented is an important step towards recognising and accepting one’s ‘inner demons’, so that one can change them in the next step. An important point is human freedom. Closeness to Jesus enables them to experience life, community and fulfilment. The decision lies with each and every one of us. It is not decisive whether, as scientists debate today, evil comes from outside or from within. There is the realisation that even the closest relationship with God and the strongest sense of community can nevertheless lead to a distancing from that community.
So what helps?
The British singer Robbie Williams has released a new album after many years. It includes a song that speaks of mistakes and one’s own demons: ‘Forbidden Road’. It is a metaphor for what defines human beings – the bad, the mean, the underhand, the treacherous and the evil; the realisation of this and the big question that remains at the end: Do you still love me? This is no free pass, but a humble question that can create a new beginning: towards one’s partner, towards oneself and towards God.
I walked along a forbidden road
I had to know where does it go
Like birds that fly into the sun
I had to run, I'm not the only one
So do you love me now?
Or did I let you down?
You said you wanted all my secrets
So I showed you all my demons
Do you love me now?
I walked along a
forbidden road I had to know where it leads
Like birds that fly into the
sun I had to run, I’m not the only one
So do you love me now?
Or did I let you down?
You said you wanted all my secrets
So I showed you all my
demons Do you love me now?
Aleksandra Brand