One, all, Will Betray Me

Gospel: Matthew 26: 14-25

"One of you will betray me." At these words all the disciples tremble in fear and they all say - "Surely it is not I, Lord."  Why do they all fear this statement of Jesus? Why do they think this statement all applies to them? All of these disciples who have argued over which is greatest among them and swearing to die for the Lord now all cower at this statement.

We are all betrayers of the Lord, even they in their own way were as well.  While we have not exchanged money to hand Jesus over to death we have all in many ways betrayed the Lord in the person of our neighbor and other human beings.  By our disdain for others, our neglect, abandonment, denial, and indifference we have betrayed the Lord time and again to a cruel torture and death in so many different ways.  

Holy Week is our annual realization that there are no "faithful" or "loyal" Christians.  There are only Judases and Peters, only disciples stung by the statement of Jesus: "One of you will betray me", for at our deepest core we realize that this sentence does indeed apply to us, that we have much to repent of, much to change in our lives.  But in this election week let us choose to run off and weep with Peter rather than hang ourselves with Judas.