Slaves Who Become Friends
Today’s Gospel appears simple at first blush, but it is not.
When Jesus had washed the disciples ’feet, he said to them:
“Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master
nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.
If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.
I am not speaking of all of you.
I know those whom I have chosen.
But so that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me.
From now on I am telling you before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe that I AM.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send
receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” (Jn 13:16-20)
Jesus washes the feet of the twelve, and He will bless eleven and condemn the twelfth. There He calls them slaves, directed to duplicate with humility.
Judas is revealed in the verses that follow, as Satan enters him. Judas will be told that what he must do, he should do quickly.
Thereafter, Jesus delivers the “Last Supper Discourses.” (generally Jn 14 & 15). Jesus states He is the Way, the Truth and Life, and that their works will be even greater than His. All of it is conditioned on loving Jesus by keeping His commandments.
Knowing of His upcoming exodus, He promises not to leave them orphans by sending the Advocate, the Spirit of Truth – that will remind them of all they have been told.
One important admonishment – He is the vine, and they are the branches. They must produce fruit, lest the Father cut them off and throw them into a fire to be burned.
Judas must have come to their mind. He neither bore fruit nor remained in Him. Remaining a slave, Judas prioritized greed over his Master, the Christ. The eleven, at the end of the Discourse are no longer slaves but friends, for they now know Jesus’ plan and that they are protected by the Spirit of Truth, even as they are persecuted as He was.
Judas and the Eucharist
The Gospel of Luke makes it perfectly clear that Judas was given one last opportunity for life. (Lk 22:19-21). He partook the Bread and the Cup of the New Covenant, and this immediately precedes Jesus’ condemnation, “…But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man. It would be better for him if he had not been born.” (Mt 26:24).
Here I am reminded of St Paul’s admonition to Corinth regarding the Eucharist. First, like Judas, St Paul received his teaching on the Eucharist from Jesus Himself. (1 Cor 11:23). Imagine the importance of this teaching that Jesus would communicate it directly to this Apostle as well.
“Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself.” (1Cor 11: 27-29)
Applying to Our Lives
We are all brothers and sisters and friends of Our Lord, provided we follow His commandments. We are required to produce fruit for His kingdom, lest we are cut off. In so doing we are protected in our evangelization mission by the Advocate, the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, so long as we remain in Christ.
We are fortified for our mission by the Eucharist, the Bread of Life and Cup of Salvation, which is coupled with Our Lord’s personal promise of Life and being raised on the last day. All of this provided we receive the Eucharist worthily having first examined our conscience – lest like Judas, we bring condemnation on ourselves.
