[stephenkhoo]

BEING IDENTIFIED WITH OUR BETRAYERS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ISAIAH 49:1-6; PS 71:1-6,15,17; JOHN 13:21-38 ]

As we approach nearer the passion of our Lord, we can feel more intensely with the Lord in His last days on earth. St John wrote, “Jesus was troubled in spirit.” This is the second time St John revealed the soul of our Lord in His last days. Earlier on, Jesus said, “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify thy name.” (Jn 12:27f) What was going through His mind and His heart? St John’s gospel does not have the Gethsemane narrative. But the sentiments expressed by John are similar to that of Jesus in His agony in the Garden when He prayed, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death.”

In today’s gospel, the evangelist seems to suggest that the betrayal of Judas was His cause of concern. He declared, “I tell you most solemnly, one of you will betray me.” Certainly, we can feel with Jesus when one of our inner circle of friends betray us. But in the case of Judas, it was not just any betrayal that we experience in human relationships, like infidelity or breaking of a promise or slander. It was a betrayal that led to His death. It must have been very hard for our Lord to know that there was a traitor among the Twelve. In spite of all His teaching, His sharing with them about the Kingdom, authentic discipleship, the cost of following the gospel, Judas turned out to be the mole in the group.

We all have our experiences of betrayal as well, in relationships, in business, in the office, as well as in church, especially where it involves politics. All of us have failed relationships because one party betrayed our trust and our love. Most painful are the betrayal of our loved ones and those whom we care for, or so to speak, share the same table, as in today’s gospel. We know how it feels like when our friends or trusted lieutenants betray us for their vested interests. Sometimes we know, but we cannot do anything about it. Some of us would retaliate by taking revenge. If that were not possible, we would just cut the person off from our lives and have nothing to do with them because we do not want them to hurt us again.

But Jesus’ sorrow was not for Himself but for Judas. He was not thinking about His wounds. Jesus came for all, especially for sinners, and that included Judas. Even whilst Judas was plotting to betray Jesus to the Chief Priests, Jesus was still trying to reach out to him. “He dipped the piece of bread and gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot.” It was an attempt to win Judas over by His love. Unfortunately, we read that “at that instant, after Judas had taken the bread, Satan entered him.” The evangelist ended by saying, “As soon as Judas had taken the piece of bread he went out. Night had fallen.” He had been overcome by darkness and evil. He was closed to the overture of Jesus to repent and turn back. Jesus did not stop him even though He knew where he was going. Jesus said, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” This is the extent of Jesus’ unconditional love for us, respecting our freedom to respond.

However, Jesus was troubled not only by the betrayal of Judas but also the betrayal of the rest of His disciples. After supper, Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night; for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'” (Mt 26:31) But Peter was presumptuous as usual, over confident of himself. He said, “I will lay down my life for you.’ ‘Lay down your life for me?’ answered Jesus. ‘I tell you most solemnly, before the cock crows you will have disowned me three times.'” Once again, the focus of our Lord was not on His betrayal by His disciples. He knew the weaknesses of men especially in the face of suffering and death. He was worried about the future of the group. They would be lost and disbanded. The concern of Jesus was never about Himself but that His disciples might be lost and disillusioned after He was arrested and put to death.

Indeed, a good leader never suffers for Himself but always for the good of His people. His worry is not about his safety and his interests but the common good of the community He serves, and the continuation of that community. A good leader is always thinking about the future of the group and not just the present needs. He is always preparing for that day when He leaves, that the legacy would continue to grow and be developed further. That was Jesus! The knowledge that His disciples would be scattered after His death filled Him with great sorrow because of His love for them. This is what leadership entails. A leader, whilst seeking to deal with the present challenges, is always planning ahead for the future.

This is what we are called to do as well. In dealing with betrayal in our lives, we are called to look beyond our pains and hurts. We are called to identify with our betrayers. We should not be surprised that even our best friends could betray us, or our closest associates. This is because like Judas, the influence of Satan is real, seen by the temptations offered by the world and the flesh. Even in marriage, we are tempted to infidelity. Even though we are paid well by the company, we are tempted to lust after more money, like Judas who was greedy. Even though we have been given positions and authority in the organization, we are never satisfied. We want to have the top position. We are ambitious, just like the disciples of our Lord.

At the Garden in Gethsemane, when Jesus said His soul was troubled, it was not just because of the betrayal of His disciples but being identified with the sins of the world. In His agony, Jesus felt the sins of the world upon Himself. St Paul wrote, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor 5:21) St Peter who reflected on the passion of Christ wrote, “He committed no sin; no guile was found on his lips. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he trusted to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Pt 2:22-24) Knowing the seriousness of sin and the injury sin could cause to our neighbours whom we have wronged and the consequences for ourselves, Jesus was burdened by this knowledge.

Consequently, we can appreciate the prayer of Jesus on the cross when He was crucified. “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Lk 23:34) Jesus felt with His enemies more than for Himself. Jesus came to heal us by offering forgiveness through repentance. Although Judas failed to respond to Jesus’ last attempt to hold him back from being a pawn of Satan, Jesus’ last attempt with Peter was successful. When Peter denied Jesus for the third time, “the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly.” (Lk 22:61f)

What about us? Have we thought of the betrayals we have committed in our life, especially of our loved ones and the organization we are working for? Have we been just and honest in our work or have we been manipulative and destructive? Have we let go and forgiven those who have betrayed us and moved on in life instead of allowing the hurts and grievances to continue to bind us, making us unhappy? The truth is that we have all sinned. We are all traitors of our Lord and our brothers and sisters and we all have also been betrayed as well. This is a sinful world. But Jesus does not look at our sins, even of betrayal. He only seeks our repentance so that like St Peter, we can be restored in our relationship with Him.