TUESDAY IN HOLY WEEK
Jesus was deeply disturbed and declared, “In all truth I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”
—John 13:21
Jesus, sitting at table with his disciples, said, “One of you will betray me” (John 13:21)….
As I look more closely at Jesus’ words as they are written in Greek, a better translation would be “One of you will hand me over.” The term paradidomi means “to give over, to hand over, to give into the hands of.” It is an important term not only to express what Judas did, but also what God did. Paul writes, “He did not spare his own Son, but ‘handed him over’ for the sake of all of us” (Rom. 8:32).
If we translate Judas’s action as “to betray,” as applied to Judas, we do not fully express the mystery because Judas is described as being an instrument of God’s work. That is why Jesus said, “The Son of Man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will, but alas for the man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed [handed over]” (Matt. 26:24).
This moment when Jesus is handed over to those who do with him as they please is a turning point in Jesus’ ministry. It is turning from action to passion. After years of teaching, preaching, healing, and moving to wherever he wanted to go, Jesus is handed over to the caprices of his enemies. Things are now no longer done by him, but to him.
He is flagellated, crowned with thorns, spat at, laughed at, stripped, and nailed naked to a cross. He is a passive victim, subject to other people’s actions. From the moment Jesus is handed over, his passion begins, and through this passion he fulfills his vocation.
It is important for me to realize that Jesus fulfills his mission not by what he does, but by what is done to him. Just as with everyone else, most of my life is determined by what is done to me and thus is passion. And because most of my life is passion, things being done to me, only small parts of my life are determined by what I think, say, or do. I am inclined to protest against this and to want all to be action, originated by me. But the truth is that my passion is a much greater part of my life than my action. Not to recognize this is self-deception and not to embrace my passion with love is self-rejection.
It is good news to know that Jesus is handed over to passion, and through his passion accomplishes his divine task on earth. It is good news for a world passionately searching for wholeness.
Jesus’ words to Peter remind me that Jesus’ transition from action to passion must also be ours if we want to follow his way. He says, “When you were young you put on your own belt and walked where you liked; but when you grow old you will stretch out your hands, and somebody else will put a belt round you and take you where you would rather not go’ (John 21:18).
I, too, have to let myself be “handed over” and thus fulfill my vocation.
Our Prayer
If you, O God, are for us,
who can be against us?
Since you did not spare your own Son,
but gave him up for the sake of all of us,
then can we not expect that with him
you will freely give us all his gifts?
Are we not sure that it is Christ Jesus,
your Son, who died —
yes and more, who was raised from the dead
and is at God’s right hand —
and who is adding his plea for us?
—After Rom. 8:31-32, 34