Isaiah 50:4-9a                                                             Psalm 70                                             John 13:21-32

            The gospel reading is the Last Supper – according to John.  It is not the eucharist meal presented in the other gospels.  Rather it is an intimate moment in which we see Judas sitting next to Jesus – in the place of honor next to the host.  After telling the disciples gathered that he is concerned “one of you will betray me,” Jesus has a quiet conversation with Judas in which he lets Judas know that Judas has not fooled him.  No one else knows who it is – Judas has fooled everyone but Jesus.   Judas has been the one trusted with the common purse, he is respected – but he is living a lie and Jesus knows it. 

            It is easy to condemn such an act of betrayal, but to a certain degree we are all guilty of living two lives:  a public and a private life.  Tiger Woods is an example of the extreme – but many of us have sought to portray ourselves a certain way to our friends and family – to the public, while inwardly wishing we felt as we acted.  We may have even lived a secret life, hiding our actions or just our thoughts and feelings to the point that we begin to believe our own lies.  When we do that, when we lie to ourselves and start believing our own lies, we tend to be quick to judge others.  We see in others the hypocrisy while we fail to feel our own emotions, to see into our own hearts, to recognize our own hypocrisy.

            Imagine, then, being in the presence of God and not knowing it – being so blinded by the veil we’ve placed over own eyes that we cannot see the truth – the light.   The scriptures do not tell us what motivated Judas – only that Satan entered into him.  This is not the language we tend to use comfortably in the Episcopal Church – that “Satan entered into him.”  I have long struggled with the tendencies among some dominations to blame a person’s misconduct on Satan, but have grown to understand it as “temptation” in my vocabulary.  So, Judas, yielding to temptation, did what I have done before – he saw the world through his eyes and failed to comprehend how limited his vision was.  For whatever reason, in some distorted understanding of reality – Judas thought he was doing what he needed to do. 

            Later, even Judas knew he had made a mistake.  I, too, have made mistakes that have hurt others.  I, too, have found myself remorseful and amazed at how I could have done what I did – said what I said.  I suspect you have too. Fortunately, our story does not end here – nor does the Gospel reading. 

            After Judas left – Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him."  Knowing what Judas was doing – knowing that his fate had been sealed – Jesus says, “Now the Son of Man has been gloried.”  Out of deceit, out of betrayal, and out of suffering, God can create glory.  No matter what we’ve done, or how badly we deceived ourselves and hurt others, God can bring out the best in us.  God can redeem us.  Satan does not have the last word in our lives – as powerful as it is to yield to the temptation to play God, to believe we know what is best for ourselves and for others, God, in Christ Jesus will in the end, reveal his glory. 

Let us pray.

            Lord, remove the veil from our eyes that blinds us from the truth. Open our hearts and so direct our lives that we might share forth your glory. In the name of your son, our hope for the future, we pray. Amen.