Breaking the Word

… "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…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 he 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 he took the morsel and left at once. And it was night…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't I 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."(Jn 13:21-33,36-38).

Today’s reading presents two types of followers. Judas type is those who follow him all their lives, even during the life time of the master, but at the end of it all, they betray him. They work for their own advantage. They have lived all their lives for their benefits and gains, and hence they are ready even to sell their master for their gain. They betray him willingly and they even plan for it with the opponents for monetary gain.

The second type of followers, like Peter, wants to follow Jesus even at the cost of their lives. They are ready to lay down their lives. But Jesus says that even Peter will deny. This denial is due to weakness, failures etc. But he is willing to be a follower till the end. He does not sell master or his values, but he fails, yet he follows.

I do not think that these are the only types of following. Sure, there will be other types of following. These are presented to us,  to reflect about following.

There are followers like Judas, peter etc. But will there be anyone like Jesus?

… Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. Then Judas the Iscariot, one (of) his disciples, and the one who would betray him, said, "Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days' wages and given to the poor?" He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions. So Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me." …(Jn 12,1-11)

Today, many seem to agree with Judas the Iscariot and some even say that what he proposed should be followed. Judas knows the cost of things in the market because he was in charge of the common fund. He was doing the administration of the common fund.

But JESUS looks at the value of things. When we say the value we mean the love, affection, care, esteem etc. These cannot be measured or counted in monetary quantities. They cannot even be compared with monetary quantities. When we speak of affection, care, esteem, relationship we do not count the cost. Only money-minded people (people who do not care for people, persons, and individuals) will think of the monetary worth (cost) of things.

Also, when Jesus said; “you will have the poor with you”, he presented his vision of events. He saw the events as a resurrected person (because he spoke about the death). After resurrection (or a person with risen mentality) there will be no poor. Poor are only here, for the people of earthy (monetary) mentality. People with risen mentality will not find poor here (they will not distinguish rich and poor here, for them all are same and treat all equally and there is no distinction). People of earthly mentality (people who view things from this side of resurrection) will talk of poor and rich and treat them so.

So, people who team up with Judas the Iscariot, see the cost of things (monetary) and poor (division).

People of RISEN JESUS see values and persons.