Then they began to ask one another which one of them it could be who would do this. — Luke 22:23.
Today’s Gospel recounts the moment after Jesus reveals that one of his disciples will betray him. The question, “who would do this,” asked in that upper room so long ago, resonates today.
When something terrible happens, or even when we’ve simply let someone down, we often find ourselves asking, “Who could do this?” It’s a question born of shock, disbelief, and sometimes, a deep need to distance ourselves. Even when the person who’s “done this” is us, the urge to deny, to point fingers elsewhere, is a very human one—just ask Peter, who vehemently denied knowing Jesus. We can be genuinely appalled when the perpetrator is revealed, even when, with a touch more honesty, we might admit it could easily have been us.
Jesus knew full well the betrayal that was coming, yet Judas was fed and treated with the same love and respect as all the other disciples. It’s a profound demonstration of unconditional love and forgiveness. Perhaps Jesus, in that moment, was not only showing compassion to Judas but also imparting a last lesson to the others: The capacity for both great good and great error resides within us all.
The question “Who could do this?” isn’t just about identifying a culprit; it’s an invitation to introspection. It reminds us that any one of us, in our shared humanity, could falter. And in that understanding, there’s a powerful call to be quick to forgive, to offer understanding, and to extend grace—to others, and to ourselves. It’s a reminder of the empathy and compassion we are all capable of extending, even in the face of our deepest disappointments.
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