So Jesus told him, ”What you are about to do, do quickly.” But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out.
When Jesus gave the bread to Judas Iscariot, there were only two people in the room who knew what was going on. Judas, who thought what he was doing was in secret was one. Jesus, who is God and knows everything and everyone’s heart was the other.
At this point, Judas has already made arrangements with the Pharisees to betray Jesus. He has collected his thirty pieces of silver and is carrying the dirty money with him. (We know this because he later tried to give it back to the Pharisees.) As he accepts the bread from Jesus’ hand he must have looked at Jesus.
Inside each of us is a secret place where we keep our innermost thoughts. They are safe there from prying eyes, but not from God. When Judas looked at Jesus to receive the bread, he was looking into the eyes of one who knew every secret thought he ever had. Up to that point Judas had thought his secret was safe. When he looked at Jesus did he understand that Jesus knew what was in his heart?
Continue reading “Secret Place – John 13: 27b-30a”