Daily Devotion for Thursday 3rd July 2025

St John 13: 21 – 30

After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, ‘Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.’  The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking.  One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining next to him;  Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, ‘Lord, who is it?’  Jesus answered, ‘It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.’ So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, ‘Do quickly what you are going to do.’  Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him.  Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, ‘Buy what we need for the festival’; or, that he should give something to the poor.  So, after receiving the piece of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

Reflection

This is a story of betrayal, a very personal betrayal.  Judas, someone whom Jesus considered to be a friend, was prepared to give him over to the authorities in exchange for money and we can only speculate on his motives.

Many of us may also have been the victims of betrayal by people we considered to be friends, maybe by those we loved.  Not on such a scale perhaps, but certainly we know how Jesus was feeling.  How do we react to betrayal, to being let down by people? 

In the news recently was an interview with the former Archbishop of Canterbury.  Justin Welby caused a stir when he said he forgave abuser John Smythe after the report into safeguarding failures in the Church of England led to Welby’s resignation.  Many have said it was not for Welby to forgive on behalf of the victims of abuse, and that is certainly true, and perhaps to offer forgiveness for what could be described as the Archbishop’s own failures seems rather odd.  Having said that, we pray regularly about asking for and offering forgiveness when we pray the Lord’s Prayer.  Are these just words; are we happy to be forgiven ourselves but struggle with the idea of forgiving others when hurt may run deep?

Offering and accepting forgiveness is never easy but we have the ultimate example of how to do it, and striving to follow and copy Jesus is surely our life’s goal.

Prayer

Loving Lord,
forgive us our sins 
and help us to forgive those who sin against us.  
Amen