Holy Tuesday
John 13:21-33;36-38
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who, of thy tender love towards mankind,
hast sent thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, to take upon him our flesh, and to
suffer death upon the Cross, that all mankind should follow the example of his
great humility: mercifully grant that we may follow the example of his
patience, and so be made partakers of his Resurrection; through the same Jesus
Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the
Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Judas’ Betrayal and his possession by Satan
Our Lord has already hinted that He will be betrayed but now He
announces it clearly while also being deeply troubled. The darkness descends as
one of the Twelve enters into that darkness. But at the same time as most of
them are confused and bewildered, one of His disciples begins to stand out – ‘the
beloved disciple’.
So in a sense, today’s gospel brings us an extreme contrast between one
of the Twelve who puts himself under the power of darkness, and another
disciple who is illuminated by light through his closeness to Christ.
We are told that this beloved disciple was reclining at Jesus’ side.
His position would have meant he was regarded, in the culture of that time, as
co-host of the dinner, or guest of honour. The same phrase of him is also used
by Jesus when He said that He was able to uniquely reveal His Father because He
was “at the Father’s side”. So the beloved disciple is in a unique position to
witness to the spiritual meaning or inner meaning of whom Jesus is.
At the beginning of the chapter (13) we were told that Judas had
yielded to demonic suggestion (see John 13:2). So what happens now is that
Satan takes possession of Judas. This demonic possession occurs when Judas
actively takes this morsel. His inner consent allows Satan to enter him.
A remarkable thing occurs. Jesus tells Judas, or in fact Satan, to do
what he must do. Jesus gives permission for the events of the Passion to
unfold. Jesus has everything in his power and thus reveals that it is part of
the Father’s plan. Of course, God does not desire people to betray or do any of
the wicked things that happen to Jesus, but He does permit it because it
results in the redemption of humankind – it opens the way for our salvation.
Judas is possessed by Satan, eats the morsel and leaves at once. The
evangelist adds that it was night. Darkness truly has descended.
Jesus then reveals a very important theological theme: glorification.
Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him.
Glory can be defined as the sensible manifestation of the awesome
presence of God. The moment of glorification will occur on the cross. The Son
of God who has descended to the earth as God made man, in order to reveal the
Father, will be lifted high upon the Cross for the salvation of humankind. The
cross is the moment of glorification because it is the revelation of God as
sacrificial love. The Father loves the Son and gives Him for the world’s
salvation, and the Son in turn loves the Father and gives His own life as a
perfect gift of love and obedience to the Father. Since the Cross is the place
where the love between the Father and the Son is revealed, God (the Father) is
glorified by the loving obedience of Jesus, and the Father will then further
glorify Jesus. What will happen is that Jesus’ divinity will be revealed in the
Resurrection – in His glorified humanity. And in this revelation of glorified
humanity rests our hope.
The final poignant discourse between Peter and Jesus should not be lost
on us. The Son offers His life willingly in loving obedience, will we offer
ourselves to Him?
Psalm 71
In
te, Domine, speravi
IN THEE, O Lord, have I put my trust, let
me never be put to confusion : but rid me and deliver me in thy righteousness,
incline thine ear unto me, and save me.
2. Be thou my strong hold, whereunto I
may alway resort : thou hast promised to help me, for thou art my house of
defence and my castle.
3. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand
of the ungodly : out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
4. For thou, O Lord God, art the thing
that I long for : thou art my hope, even from my youth.
5. Through thee have I been holden up
ever since I was born : thou art he that took me out of my mother's womb; my
praise shall be always of thee.
6. I am become as it were a monster unto
many : but my sure trust is in thee.
7. O let my mouth be filled with thy
praise : that I may sing of thy glory and honour all the day long.
8. Cast me not away in the time of age :
forsake me not when my strength faileth me.
9. For mine enemies speak against me, and
they that lay wait for my soul take their counsel together, saying : God hath
forsaken him; persecute him, and take him, for there is none to deliver him.
10. Go not far from me, O God : my God,
haste thee to help me.
11. Let them be confounded and perish
that are against my soul : let them be covered with shame and dishonour that
seek to do me evil.
12. As for me, I will patiently abide
alway : and will praise thee more and more.
13. My mouth shall daily speak of thy
righteousness and salvation : for I know no end thereof.
14. I will go forth in the strength of
the Lord God : and will make mention of thy righteousness only.
15. Thou, O God, hast taught me from my
youth up until now : therefore will I tell of thy wondrous works.
16. Forsake me not, O God, in mine old
age, when I am gray-headed : until I have shewed thy strength unto this
generation, and thy power to all them that are yet for to come.
17. Thy righteousness, O God, is very
high : and great things are they that thou hast done; O God, who is like unto
thee?
18. O what great troubles and adversities
hast thou shewed me, and yet didst thou turn and refresh me : yea, and
broughtest me from the deep of the earth again.
19. Thou hast brought me to great honour
: and comforted me on every side.
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