Matthew 26:17-25, The Passover with the Disciples

17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 18 He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’”19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.

20 When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. 21 And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” 23 He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” 25 Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”

Comments

Jesus secretly prepared the place for his special Passover meal in advance, the day before the other Jews held their Passover meal in Jerusalem—probably to keep Judas from knowing where it would be. When he said it was “my time,” he meant his climactic moment to die as the true Passover lamb while the ritual lambs were being killed in the temple. He reinvented the Passover for a new people of God on a new night. This explains the absence of lamb at Jesus’ meal.

Jesus’ unspecific accusation showed his willingness to let events take their course. What happened was within the sovereign will of God, yet this did not excuse Judas’ deliberate betrayal. Judas and Jesus must have had a private conversation when Jesus acknowledged him as the betrayer. Otherwise, the other disciples would have tried to stop him.

Prayer

Lord, I make you a present of myself. I do not know what to do with myself. So let me make this exchange: I will place myself entirely in your hands, if you will cover my ugliness with your beauty, and tame my unruliness with your love. Put out the flames of false passion in my heart, since these flames destroy all that is true within me. Make me always busy in your service.

Lord, I want no special signs from you, nor am I looking for intense emotions in response to your love. I would rather be free of all emotion, than to run the danger of falling victim once again to false passion. Let my love for you be naked, without any emotional clothing.

(Catherine of Genoa, 1447-1510)