"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.”
- Matthew 26
Spend some quiet time with the scripture above...
Today, Wednesday, is sometimes called Spy Wednesday because the Gospel for Mass relates how Judas conspired to betray Christ and hand him over to the authorities for just thirty pieces of silver.
Betrayal is a tragic reality.
Have you experienced betrayal? Is there someone in your life you've betrayed? Have you been accused of betrayal? The accusation of betrayal can be both a heavy burden and a deep wound.
Benedictine priest Aidan Kavanagh used to speak of "the night in which Jesus was betrayed by the worst in us all..." That offers us all a good perspective on Judas' betrayal of Jesus. It's easy to accuse Judas of betraying Christ and not so easy to accuse ourselves.
On the night Christ was betrayed, Judas stood in for all of us who have betrayed God's love and our neighbor's love.
Innocent and without sin, Jesus then carried on his shoulders and suffered in his wounds the burden of our betrayal...
