Being Christian means being servants of Christ, as he is his Father's beloved servant. The servantship also means that we are worthy and able to follow him to where he is going on his path of glorification: Christ's death and resurrection. And, we must have love that sustains to serve.
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Unbeknownst to the disciples, Judas had already started serving Satan by “selling” Jesus to the chief priests for 30 silver coins before the Last Supper (Matthew 26:14-16//Mark 14:10-11//Luke 22:3-6), though this episode is not included in John’s Gospel. Judas offered the chief priests the very man, whom they had been dying to catch him to kill (John 11:45-57).
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Unbeknownst to the disciples, Judas had already started serving Satan by “selling” Jesus to the chief priests for 30 silver coins before the Last Supper (Matthew 26:14-16//Mark 14:10-11//Luke 22:3-6), though this episode is not included in John’s Gospel. Judas offered the chief priests the very man, whom they had been dying to catch him to kill (John 11:45-57).
Preceding to today’s Gospel reading scene (John
12:21-33, 36-38), Jesus washed his disciples’ feet to teach them what servant
leadership means through his own example (John 13:1-17). The servant leadership
teaching with Jesus washing his disciples’ feet is reflected in the Holy
Thursday Gospel reading (John 13:1-15) as this leads to his Mandatum Novum: Love one another, as he
has done in his service (John 13:35).
Following his service of foot washing to the
disciples, Jesus continued to serve them with supper on the night before his
death. In the middle of this Last Supper that Jesus served, he “dropped the
bomb”, breaking of the “bad news”, shaking them, by saying that someone among
them would betray him soon. And, this is
where today’s Gospel narrative begins. It starts with an abrupt interruption of
the flow of service that Jesus was performing to his disciples on the night
before his death.
Today’s Gospel narrative (John 12:21-33, 36-38)
describes how Jesus told of his betrayer and how the disciples reacted to this
at the Last Supper, after Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. The Gospel
narrative for today has three parts: Jesus foretelling Judas’ betrayal without
any specification (vv. 21-30), Jesus foretelling his departure after Judas left
(vv.31-33) and Jesus foretelling Peter’s denial (vv.37-38).
The first reading for today (Isaiah 49:1-6) also reflects a theme of service, as it is taken from the second servant song of Isaiah. In fact, we read all four servant songs of Isaiah during Holy Week : the first one in yesterday’s first reading (Isaiah 42:1-7), the third one in Palm Sunday first reading (Isaiah 50:4-7), and the fourth one in Good Friday first reading (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). In these four servant songs of Isaiah, the portrayed servant is Christ. Therefore, these servant songs are Christological reflections, from his origin to the ultimate purpose of his service, which demands his suffering and death. In today’s portion of the servant songs, second servant song (Isaiah 49:1-6), first, we are reminded that Christ was already called into his serve before his birth (Isaiah 49:1 – though the Lectionary description says, “called me from birth”, the Scripture says “called me before I was born”(NRSV), “before birth, the Lord called me”(NABRE)) to redeem us from Satan’s influence to fulfill God’s acclaimed plan in Genesis 3:15, just before Adam and Eve were evicted from Eden. And, this was way before Christ was born of Mary, who was made Immaculate at her conception, to reverse Eve, so that her Son, Jesus the Christ, can reverse Adam, even in flesh. Isaiah 49:1 also echoes Micah 5:2, an indication of the Christ-King’s pre-existence before his birth in Bethlehem. It means that God the Father appointed His only begotten Son for his service before he was conceived in Mary’s womb, as he appointed Jeremiah to be His prophet even before his birth (Jeremiah 1:5). No wonder we find a parallel between Jesus and Jeremiah during Lenten readings (Seeing Jeremiah in his Confessions as a prototype of Jesus as the suffering servant: Jeremiah 18:18-20; Matthew 20:17-28 (Wednesday of the 2nd week), Jeremiah 11:18-20; John 7:40-53(Saturday of the 4th week), Jeremiah 20:10-13; John 10:31-42(Friday of the 5th week)).
The first reading for today (Isaiah 49:1-6) also reflects a theme of service, as it is taken from the second servant song of Isaiah. In fact, we read all four servant songs of Isaiah during Holy Week : the first one in yesterday’s first reading (Isaiah 42:1-7), the third one in Palm Sunday first reading (Isaiah 50:4-7), and the fourth one in Good Friday first reading (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). In these four servant songs of Isaiah, the portrayed servant is Christ. Therefore, these servant songs are Christological reflections, from his origin to the ultimate purpose of his service, which demands his suffering and death. In today’s portion of the servant songs, second servant song (Isaiah 49:1-6), first, we are reminded that Christ was already called into his serve before his birth (Isaiah 49:1 – though the Lectionary description says, “called me from birth”, the Scripture says “called me before I was born”(NRSV), “before birth, the Lord called me”(NABRE)) to redeem us from Satan’s influence to fulfill God’s acclaimed plan in Genesis 3:15, just before Adam and Eve were evicted from Eden. And, this was way before Christ was born of Mary, who was made Immaculate at her conception, to reverse Eve, so that her Son, Jesus the Christ, can reverse Adam, even in flesh. Isaiah 49:1 also echoes Micah 5:2, an indication of the Christ-King’s pre-existence before his birth in Bethlehem. It means that God the Father appointed His only begotten Son for his service before he was conceived in Mary’s womb, as he appointed Jeremiah to be His prophet even before his birth (Jeremiah 1:5). No wonder we find a parallel between Jesus and Jeremiah during Lenten readings (Seeing Jeremiah in his Confessions as a prototype of Jesus as the suffering servant: Jeremiah 18:18-20; Matthew 20:17-28 (Wednesday of the 2nd week), Jeremiah 11:18-20; John 7:40-53(Saturday of the 4th week), Jeremiah 20:10-13; John 10:31-42(Friday of the 5th week)).
The motif of Jesus as the beloved servant of God the
Father, strong to withstand for the sake of His justice to be prevailed
throughout the earth with his rule, is reflected in yesterday’s first reading
from the first servant song (Isaiah 42:1-7). And, this Christological
description is again found in today’s first reading, from Isaiah 49:2 to 49:6.
Jesus was already called to serve the Father’s will
to save us before his human birth from Mary, even before he was conceived in
her womb, as the living Christ, the Messiah, the King (Isaiah 49:1). He gifted
this beloved servant of Him with the Word of a sharpened sword (Isaiah 49:2a),
as also reflected in Isaiah 50:4 (in Palm Sunday first reading). He equipped
his beloved servant Son with necessary weapon and protection in his battle
against Satan (Isaiah 49:2b), so that His splendor will be displayed in his
glorification at his victory (Isaiah 49:3) Even though he has to suffer
greatly, evoking the suffering of Jeremiah in his confessions (Jeremiah
11:18-23; 12:1-4;15;10-21;17:12-18;18:18-23;20:7-18), and although his suffering
is intense in agony, leading to death (Isaiah 50:6-7, 52:14-15, 53:3-10), the
servant never loses his faith and loyalty in the one who called him, finding
the strength to endure in Him (Isaiah 49:4). So, he can accomplish his service
mission to bring salvation to all over the earth, so that the Gentiles can also
enjoy its benefit (Isaiah 49:5-6).
Given this Christological implication the servant in
today’s first reading from the second servant song of Isaiah, we can understand
why the flow of Jesus’ direct service to his disciples on the night before his
death has to be interrupted, as today’s Gospel reading describes the beginning
of the disruption.
Remember, in announcing about the betrayer, Jesus
specifically mentioned it in connection to fulfilling the Scripture (John
13:18), possibly referring to Psalm 41:10 (41:9 in NRSV, NIV). And, the
suffering and death brought by this betrayal is reflected in these portions of
the servant songs: Isaiah 49:5-6, 50:6-7, 52:14-15, 53:3-10. Today’s Gospel reading begins with Jesus’
announcement of his betrayer, “Amen,
amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me”(John 13:21), echoing his
earlier announcement in John 13:18, which explains why Jesus said, “Not all of you are clean”(John 13:11),
during washing the disciples’ feet.
The disciples reacted to this announcement anxiously
as they were troubled with it, as they looked at each other to figure out who
the betrayer that Jesus was speaking of (John 13:22). And, Peter motioned John
to ask Jesus who that betrayer could be, and Jesus revealed that it is the one,
to whom he passes the morsel upon dipping it (John 13:23-26). And, Jesus handed
the morsel to Judas (John 13:27).
Upon taking the morsel from Jesus, Satan was in
total control of Judas, and Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly”(John 13:27). This command of
Jesus to Judas shows that Jesus had been in control the situation, since before
washing the disciples’ feet, as he was aware of Satan’s influence on Judas
(John 13:2-3). In contrast, none of the disciples had no idea about why Jesus
commanded Judas to do what he had to do quickly, simply thinking that Judas was
assigned by Jesus to do some work at night (John 13:28-30).
Upon Judas’ abrupt departure from the supper, Jesus
said to the remaining disciples, “Now is
the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. God will also glorify
him in himself, and he will glorify him at once. My children, I will be with
you only a little while longer. You will look for me, and as I told the Jews,
‘Where I go you cannot come,’ so now I say it to you. I give you a new
commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one
another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love
for one another” (John 13:31-35).
Peter was not paying attention to Jesus’ Mandatum Novum (vv. 34-35) but was very
concerned about what Jesus meant by his glorification and departure, spoken
before the commandment of love. So, this time, Peter himself asked Jesus where
he would be going, and Jesus told him that he cannot come now but later (John
13:36).
Peter must be frustrated to be told that he cannot
come where Jesus is going. So, he said to Jesus, “Master, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you”(John
13:37), as to show that he is a good servant of Jesus. A servant who is willing
to die for his master – this is how Peter tried to describe himself to Jesus,
in the hope that his master, Jesus, would tell where he is going. However,
Jesus knew that Peter was not ready to serve him in such a way as he described
himself as a loyal servant. For this reason, Jesus told Peter, “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”(John
13:38), foretelling that this servant-wanna-be would betray him soon.
Obviously, Peter was not fit to be a servant of
Jesus – at least not in a way to follow him where he is going. Not the rest of the
disciples, either, as none of them understood about his pronounced departure
and glorification at the supper. It means that the disciples were not yet ready
to be the kind of servants that Jesus would deem worthy to tell where he is
going.
Jesus told Peter, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow
later”(John 13:36). Though Peter is not ready to follow Jesus, he will later,
even he betrays three times on that night. And, yes, Peter becomes ready to
follow Jesus as his loyal servant, indeed, upon the glorification of Jesus.
It is not in the night but in the morning. It is not
at supper but at breakfast, when the master, Jesus, begins to see Peter getting
ready to serve him and follow him, after his Resurrection (John 21:15-19).
So, the risen master told Peter at the breakfast,
trusting that now Peter is becoming ready to lay his own life in his service:
Amen,
amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go
where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and
someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go. Follow
me! (John
21:18-19).
Jesus was in control of everything, as he knew that Judas’ betrayal was to fulfill the Scripture, not only Psalm 41:10(9) but also for him to serve the Father as described in servant songs of Isaiah. This way, he is glorified, and his glorification also means the glorification of the Father, who sent him.
The
following narrative to today’s Gospel reading is Jesus’ Last Supper
discourse. As he begins this intimate
discourse to the disciples, Jesus explains where he is going is where he came
from and what the glorification is (John 14:1-14). Furthermore, Jesus indicates
that the disciples need the Holy Spirit, whom he calls “another Advocate (Parakletos)”(John 14:16) to be his
servants to follow him. Jesus was in control of everything, as he knew that Judas’ betrayal was to fulfill the Scripture, not only Psalm 41:10(9) but also for him to serve the Father as described in servant songs of Isaiah. This way, he is glorified, and his glorification also means the glorification of the Father, who sent him.
Once we become servants of the beloved servant Son of God, we may be betrayed, just as Jesus, the beloved servant of God the Father, was by Judas. But, if we are truly his servants, this will not let us betray the one in Isaiah’s servant songs.
We must love the one we serve, as the glorified Jesus pressed on Peter (John 21:15-17) and love one another in our service, as commanded by the master (John 13:34-35). The bottom line of the service is love: as Jesus loves the Father, whom he serves (John 14:31), we love Jesus as we serve him (John 14:15).
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