Denials

Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified, "Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me." The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant. One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was reclining at Jesus' side. So Simon Peter nodded to him to find out whom he meant. He leaned back against Jesus' chest and said to him, "Master, who is it?"

Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it." So he dipped the morsel and took it and handed it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot. After Judas took the morsel, Satan entered him. So Jesus said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly."

Now none of those reclining at table realized why he said this to him. Some thought that since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus had told him, "Buy what we need for the feast,” or to give something to the poor. So Judas took the morsel and left at once. And it was night.

When he had left, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him at once. My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look for me, and as I told the Jews, 'Where I go you cannot come,' so now I say it to you."

Simon Peter said to him, "Master, where are you going?" Jesus answered him, "Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow later. "Peter said to him, "Master, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."

Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me? Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times." (John 13:21-33, 36-38)

“So Judas took the morsel and left at once. And it was night.”  Have we at times left Jesus and it became night – darkness in our lives?  Perhaps the darkness was the result of having believed Jesus left us as we agonized through suffering, sadness, and loss of loved ones.

Too many of us hear the question: "Will you lay down your life for me?”  We say no, or not yet.   We deny him more three times with no need of a cock crow.  

When we deny Jesus, Satan enters us. With that in mind it’s best we rethink our Peter-like denials; admit there will be times when we deny; but remember that in the end we will always follow him despite the temptations to retreat or go another way.

This Holy Week we remember Judas.  We also remember our baptismal promises.  What remembrance is most influential?

Deacon David Pierce