logic of God

Isaiah 50:4-9; Ps 69 Lord, in your great love, answer me; Matthew 26:14-25

"The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed."

Several times through out the gospel, Jesus reminds his disciples as well as us that his suffering and death is not a matter of man doing it.

The suffering and death is not a whimsical decision of the the Chief priest or even of Judas, where 30 pieces of silver is exchanged.

Rather, as Jesus points out time and time again, his suffering and death is according to scripture. That is, the suffering and death of Christ himself is part of the divine logic of salvation.

Jesus' destiny which includes suffering and death is located directly within God's logic as scritpure point toward.

It has already been marked out for him the path he must tread.

Spend some time pondering God's logic.

Now for Judas. Here are a few words of meditation from Pope Benedict in his Book Jesus of Nazareth,

"John does not offer any psychological interpretation of Judas' conduct. The only clue he gives is a hint that Judas helped himself to the contents of the disciple's money box, of which he had charge (Jhn 12:6)...For John, what happened to Judas is beyond psychological explanation. He has come under the dominion of another. Anyone who breaks off friendship with JEsus, casting off his "easy yoke", does not attain liberty, does not become free, but succumbs to other powers.

To put it another way, he betrays this friendship because he is in the grip of another power to which he has opened himself.

True, th elight shed by Jesus into Judas' soul was not cmpletely extinguished. He does take a step toward conversion, "I have sinned," he says to those who commissioned him. He tries to save Jesus, and he gives the money back (Mt 27:3-5).

Everything pure and great he had received from Jesus remained inscribed on his soul-he could not forget it.

His secnd tragedy-after betrayal-is that he can no longer believe forgiveness. His remose turns into despair. Now he sees onlu himself and his darkness; he no longer sees the light of Jesus, which can illumine and overcome the darkness. He shows us the wrong type of remorse: the type that is unable to hope, that sees only its own darkness, the type that is destructive and in no way authentic.

Genuine remorse is marked by the certainty of hope born of faith in the superior power of the light that was made flesh in Jesus. "


This week we enter into the logic of God.