John 13:26-30: a reflection

26Jesus therefore answered, “It is he to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27After the piece of bread, then Satan entered into him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” 28Now nobody at the table knew why he said this to him. 29For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus said to him, “Buy what things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. 30Therefore having received that morsel, he went out immediately. It was night.

At the last supper, when Jesus identifies Judas as the one who will betray him, Judas takes the morsel Jesus offers and goes out; and the account ends with a stark, telling detail: And it was night. Judas leaves the presence of Christ, the light of the world, to carry out his betrayal, and goes out into the night. The physical darkness matches the spiritual: to turn away from Christ, the light, is to go out into darkness. The note it was night is not merely a detail of the hour; it marks the darkness Judas entered in turning from the light of Christ to his own dark purpose.

Notice the darkness Judas entered in turning from Christ. He had been at the table with Jesus, the light of the world; but he went out, away from the light, to carry out his betrayal, and it was night. The darkness of the hour marks the deeper darkness of the act: to turn away from Christ, the light, is to go out into darkness. Judas left the light and entered the night, the physical dark mirroring the spiritual. To depart from Christ is to depart from the light into darkness; the night Judas went out into was a picture of the darkness one enters in turning from the light of the world. Away from Christ is night; in leaving the light, Judas entered the dark.

That is worth taking to heart, for to turn away from Christ, the light, is to go out into darkness. We can turn away from Christ, leave the light, follow our own dark purposes, and imagine we are simply going our own way; but to depart from Christ, the light of the world, is to go out into the night, into darkness, as Judas went out and it was night. Away from the light of Christ is darkness. Do not turn away from Christ, the light, into the darkness of your own way; stay in the light, for to leave it is to enter the night. Stay in the light of Christ rather than turning away from him into darkness, remembering that to depart from the light of the world is to go out into the night, as Judas took the morsel and went out, and it was night; for away from Christ, the light, is only darkness, and to turn from him is to enter the night that Judas entered.

Lord Jesus, at the last supper, when you identify Judas as the one who will betray you, Judas takes the morsel you offer and goes out; and the account ends with a stark, telling detail: and it was night. Judas leaves your presence, the light of the world, to carry out his betrayal, and goes out into the night. The physical darkness matches the spiritual: to turn away from you, the light, is to go out into darkness. The note it was night is not merely a detail of the hour; it marks the darkness Judas entered in turning from your light. Show me the darkness Judas entered in turning from you. He had been at the table with you, the light of the world; but he went out, away from the light, and it was night. The darkness of the hour marks the deeper darkness of the act: to turn away from you, the light, is to go out into darkness. Judas left the light and entered the night, the physical dark mirroring the spiritual. To depart from you is to depart from the light into darkness. Take that to my heart, for to turn away from you, the light, is to go out into darkness. I can turn away from you, leave the light, follow my own dark purposes, and imagine I am simply going my own way; but to depart from you, the light of the world, is to go out into the night, as Judas went out and it was night. Away from your light is darkness. Keep me from turning away from you, the light, into the darkness of my own way; help me stay in the light, Lord, for to leave it is to enter the night that Judas entered.