Wednesday,
March 28, 2018
Holy Week
1st Reading: Is 50:4–9a
Gospel: Mt 26:14–26
Then one of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went off to the chief priests and said, “How much will you give me if I hand him over to you?” They promised to give him thirty pieces of silver, and from then on he kept looking for the best way to hand him over to them.
On the first day of the Festival of the Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?” Jesus answered, “Go into the city, to the house of a certain man, and tell him: ‘The Master says: My hour is near, and I will celebrate the Passover with my disciples in your house.”The disciples did as Jesus had ordered and prepared the Passover meal.When it was evening, Jesus sat at table with the Twelve. While they were eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you: one of you will betray me.” They were deeply distressed and asked him in turn, “You do not mean me, do you, Lord?”
He answered, “He who will betray me is one of those who dips his bread in the dish with me. The Son of Man is going as the Scriptures say he will. But alas for that one who betrays the Son of Man; better for him not to have been born.” Judas, who was betraying him, also asked, “You do not mean me, Master, do you?” Jesus replied, “You have said it.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
There are people who exonerate Judas on the ground that he was just playing the role of villain in the drama of salvation. Moreover, the Gospels say that the devil entered Judas and therefore he was not really in complete control of his decisions. The Judas controversy is really about God’s respect for human freedom. While it is true that the devil entered Judas, the choice was still his because up to the last minute Jesus appealed to his sense of loyalty. In handing Jesus over to the enemies, Judas was exercising his freedom.
God has a deep respect for human freedom. That is why we cannot support the theory that Judas was only playing a preordained role of villain in a drama of salvation already predetermined by God. To maintain so is not only a negation of God’s respect for human freedom but also an affirmation of the theory of predestination. This theory is unsound because this reduces us to puppets controlled by a mighty hand up above. We are no slaves vulnerable to manipulation by the hand of a master who is a user. We are God’s children endowed with the gift of freedom.
Premises considered we couldn’t exonerate Judas. We too become as guilty as him if we misuse our freedom. – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email: dan.delosangeles@gmail.com.
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