I wonder who the “certain man” was who was told Jesus and his disciples would celebrate the Passover meal in his home. Did he know who Jesus was? Was he honored? Bothered? What would you do if such a request was made?
What a weird thing to bring up at the passover meal - someone will betray me. That wasn’t really a part of the Passover story or meal. (Imagine if whoever was to lead prayer at your Christmas dinner stood up and announced something as jarring…it would change the tenor of it all, no?)
Oh, Judas. One of the most heart-wrenching stories in the gospels, tragic from beginning to end. Today we begin his story.
Matthew 26:14–25
Then one of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I turn Jesus over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver. From that time on he was looking for an opportunity to turn him in.
On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover meal?”
He replied, “Go into the city, to a certain man, and say, ‘The teacher says, “My time is near. I’m going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.”’” The disciples did just as Jesus instructed them. They prepared the Passover.
That evening he took his place at the table with the twelve disciples. As they were eating he said, “I assure you that one of you will betray me.”
Deeply saddened, each one said to him, “I’m not the one, am I, Lord?”
He replied, “The one who will betray me is the one who dips his hand with me into this bowl. The Human One goes to his death just as it is written about him. But how terrible it is for that person who betrays the Human One! It would have been better for him if he had never been born.”
Now Judas, who would betray him, replied, “It’s not me, is it, Rabbi?”
Jesus answered, “You said it.”
Prayer
God,
First off, thank you for today. It’s a new work week. Monday. Help me make the best of it.
Lord, help me to affect what I can today. Give me the grace and wisdom to do so. But when things do not go my way, give me the same: grace and wisdom. Help me be gracious to people as I make effort to team up with or collaborate with them. And then give me patience all the more when they do not return the goodness. Help me to remember Christ, whose effort was always there, but wise enough to know when to move on.
By your Spirit and in Christ,
Amen.