Now, here’s a question for you:
Was his betrayer, Judas Iscariot,
included in–or excluded from–Jesus’ saving?
When our Lord embraced the dreaded empty sound,
was He also thinking of the friend who got away?
In the retreat I gave last year,
some people expressed bewilderment
and sadness that someone “predestined” to betray our Lord
should suffer the consequences.
As one retreatant quipped, “Someone had to do it!”
And Judas was apparently “chosen” to play the bad guy.
Why blame him for it?
It’s a legitimate–and disturbing–question
when you think about it?
It’s worth asking
and thinking about.
Let’s read this passage from John
and watch what transpires between Jesus
and his friend Judas just hours before the betrayal.
Play this instrumental piece
to get into the proper disposition
of contemplative reading.
Once again pace yourself
so that you read slowly, mindfully, and prayerfully,
playing the scene in your head
until the music stops.
What questions or feelings might you have
contemplating the scene?