Reflection for March 26, Tuesday of Holy Week: John 13:21-33, 36-38

Gospel: John 13:21-33, 36-38

Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified, “Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant. One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was reclining at Jesus’ side. 

So Simon Peter nodded to him to find out whom he meant. He leaned back against Jesus’ chest and said to him, “Master, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it.” 

So he dipped the morsel and took it and handed it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot. After Judas took the morsel, Satan entered him. So Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” Now none of those reclining at table realized why he said this to him. Some thought that since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus had told him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or to give something to the poor. So Judas took the morsel and left at once. And it was night. 

When he had left, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him at once. My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look for me, and as I told the Jews, ‘Where I go you cannot come,’ so now I say it to you.” 

Simon Peter said to him, “Master, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow later.” Peter said to him, “Master, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times.”

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Reflection:

Would you agree that there are times that you sin and thus betray the Lord? 

Whether we admit it not there are really times that we succumb to the temptation of Satan. Thus, we sin and we create distance between us and the Lord Jesus Christ. However, even if we sin or betray the Lord we still are not beyond redemption. Jesus loves us so dearly that He will always forgive us no matter how many times we sin or betray Him. 

In the gospel we read about Jesus alluding to His betrayal by Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot. How could Judas betray his Lord and Master? It seems unthinkable for this apostle to betray his teacher and master but it happened. Why? This is for the reason that Judas allowed Satan to take control of him. 

But what is sad in Judas' betrayal is that it led to his self-inflicted death. Judas could have returned to the Lord, but he did not. Instead, he chose to wallow in desperation, and it culminated in his suicide. If only Judas knew that Jesus was waiting for his return, if only Judas knew that Jesus was ready to forgive him, he would not have killed himself.

As long as we exist in this world Satan and his many sinful enticements would always be there to temp us. And many of us would succumb to these sinful temptations. However we must not forget that no matter how grave our sins are we are not beyond redemption. 

The Lord Jesus is always waiting for us to go back to Him! He is ever ready to embrace us again with His Forgiveness, Mercy and unconditional Love. – Marino J. Dasmarinas