Judas

We went to a study of the book of John tonight. Jack pointed out that the passage in John that we think of the description of the last supper in chapter 13 and following has no description of communion. That surprised me; I think of that evening as centering around the idea of "Remember me."

Jack said that this might have been the night before Passover, and that communion was so familiar to the early church that there was no need to describe it.

But picture this:

The twelve disciples and Jesus are gathered around the table, sharing a meal. Jesus tells them that one of them will betray him. Peter (bless his heart) asks John to find out who the betrayer is. John asks Jesus. Jesus tells him, "Jesus answered, ‘It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.’ So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot (in John 13:26). According to someone in class, this was a way to point out an honored guest. To me, especially since Jack had brought up the concept that there is no communion description in this part of John, this action of Jesus "looks" like, in my mind, the practice of intinction. I know it isn't communion, and isn't meant to represent communion, but work with me.

This is Jesus, dipping bread in wine (or oil or something) and handing it to Judas. I can imagine this in my mind as a minister handing bread and wine to a parishioner. Jesus is handing it to Judas, a sinner. Jesus knows that Judas will betray him. He fully knows that Judas is a sinner, and yet what does he do? He singles him out as an honored guest.

Carry the metaphor a little further. We are sinners. We are invited to the communion table by God. We are treated as honored, loved guests at the table.

We condemn Judas, but perhaps we need to realize that in some ways, we are Judas. And what is Jesus' response? What is God's action in our lives? He calls us honored, beloved children, and he opens up the table of communion to us, where we join in the grace of being in relationship with God.

Amen.

Image: Communion table at the Foundation board meeting last night.