Reflection for April 13, Wednesday of Holy Week: Matthew 26:14-25

Gospel: Matthew 26:14-25

One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you? They paid him thirty pieces of silver, and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.  

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The teacher says, My appointed time draws near; in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples. The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the Passover.  

When it was evening, he reclined at table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” Deeply distressed at this, they began to say to him one after another, “Surely it is not I, Lord?  

He said in reply, “He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me. The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born.” Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” He answered, “You have said so.”

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Reflection:

Do you open your house as a shelter for those who are in need? 

Who was the man who opened his house for Jesus and his apostles? We don’t know, what we are certain about him is he was gracious and kind enough to offer his house to Jesus. There was no ulterior motive when he allowed them to use his house for their Passover remembrance.  

Judas was with Jesus and his fellow apostles but he was not there to be in communion with them. He was with them because he was planning something sinister, none other than the betrayal of Jesus.  

We see in the gospel Judas obsession with mammon or dirty material wealth. Why on earth did he betray his Lord and Master? This is for the reason that Judas was already possessed by Satan thus Judas was willing to do anything to please his new master.

The lesson for us here is we must be careful not to allow Satan or the Devil to possess us. Because the moment we allow Satan to gain foothold in our life. Satan will never stop until he possess and eventually destroys us.     

Do you allow Satan’s temptations to win over you or you always reject Satan no matter how attractive his temptations?   – Marino J. Dasmarinas