NOTES for Joh 13:26-27

Believers, and also unbelievers, often have to hear something like this: the main problem for a person is that he cannot meet God or Christ personally. If only everyone saw with their own eyes, then there would be no unbelievers; everyone would believe. But here is the situation of the Last Supper. Judas not only sees Christ face to face, but also breaks bread with Him. One could hardly be closer or clearer. And yet he does not change at all. He does not begin to trust the Teacher more than before. And he certainly does not repent of anything. On the contrary, he goes and does what he intended to do. And, strange as it is, Jesus tells him to do it quickly. What is this: a desire to dot the i's as quickly as possible? Maybe.

But another possibility exists: Judas is being given one last chance. Jesus, of course, perfectly understood what Judas intended to do: He sees the human heart through and through, as God sees it. Judas's plan was not a secret to Him, as it was to His disciples. But Jesus understands something else too: a person has a chance for repentance and conversion until the very end. Meeting God face to face, of course, by itself does not guarantee a good outcome. Just as fellowship with Jesus at one table and the breaking of bread with Him did not lead Judas to a good outcome. But such a meeting can become a moment of decision. And what it will be depends on the person's own choice. Meeting God only gives this choice form, makes it visible and conscious for the person himself.

And then a person has a new chance for repentance and conversion. Of course, there are no guarantees that he will use it. There are no guarantees at all in spiritual life. But if there is a chance, it must not be taken away from a person. And Jesus leaves Judas this last chance. He says to him: act. Do what you have planned. Of course, this is not approval of betrayal. It is rather a push that brings a person out of stupor. Since you have decided, do it.

Such words usually bring a person out of spiritual stupor and indecision. And he begins to act. Then there is also a chance that the person will change his mind. That he will change his decision, even at the last moment. Judas did repent, after all; he directly told the high priest that he had betrayed an innocent man. True, he said it too late, when everything had already been done. The decision came late, and the repentance was incomplete. This incompleteness led Judas to suicide. But he received his last chance. And he used it as he wanted and was able.

Jesus has gathered His disciples for the final meal, the meal of the covenant. He gives them a new law unlike the old one. His commandment concerns love within His community. It is so easy, after all, to love those who share your beliefs, your brothers...

But the Lord tells them that one of them is a traitor. His commandment now becomes almost impossible to fulfill: how can they love one another if any one of them may suddenly prove to be an enemy? Each tries to distance himself from the dreadful stigma of traitor, but Jesus stops them. He predicts that they will all prove unfaithful—and very soon, before morning.

The disciples, and after them all believers, are not divided into good and bad, faithful and unfaithful. They are united by one human weakness and one incomprehensible commandment: to love one another without trying to guess who will prove to be an enemy, and to imitate the love of the Teacher, who loves them unconditionally.