Daily Word Of God
Matthew 26:17-18, 20-25
On the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus to say, ‘Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?’ He said, ‘Go to so-and-so in the city’ he replied’ and say to him, “The Master says: My time is near. It is at your house that I am keeping Passover with my disciples” ’
When evening came he was at table with the Twelve disciples. And while they were eating he said, ‘I tell you solemnly, one of you is about to betray me.’ They were greatly distressed and started asking him in turn, ‘Not me, Lord, surely?’
‘Someone who has dipped his hand into the dish with me will betray me. The Son of man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will, but alas for that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born!’ Judas, who was to betray him, asked in his turn, ‘Not me, Rabbi, surely?’ ‘They are your own words.’ answered Jesus.
Today's Pointers on God's Word
As you read the passage what words, phases or meanings caught your attention?
- Judas is always portrayed as the betrayer. How could this be when he was so close to Jesus for three years in His ministry?
- Jesus preached and taught about self-sacrifice and salvation of all peoples; this message was too difficult to follow. Judas, like many of us preferred self-glory and gain. Thus, he “used” Jesus as a means to achieve this personal end and ended up betraying Him.
- Have we too “betrayed” Jesus because we also, over time prefer our self- glory and gain to Jesus’ self-sacrificing ways? We need to be faithful constantly and focused on Jesus’ ways and pray for the graces to persevere in them.