Fr Marco Lazzaron
hen Judas had gone Jesus said: ‘Now has the Son of Man been glorified, and in him God has been glorified. If God has been glorified in him, God will in turn glorify him in himself, and will glorify him very soon.
Jesus speaks of himself as the Son of Man, that is, the authentic, human man, as God wants him to be. Five times he says that this man is glorified! A glorified person is usually a person who has done something important or who is important in our eyes. A glorious act is something difficult to do and that distinguishes me from others. What did Jesus do that was so special?
We are back in the context of the Last Supper, and Jesus, after explaining to the disciples that one of them will betray him, instead of asking the disciples to bring Judas to stop him, take revenge or simply defend themselves, Jesus, who has a different criterion of justice, helps him to leave freely, thus showing us that he is willing to be killed even for Judas. He does it because he loves him. For Jesus, not being able to make Judas understand and accept his proposal of a new man is an experience of great failure and suffering, but this does not stop him from continuing to love him. This is what shows that his capacity to love is glorious, substantial.
‘My little children, I shall not be with you much longer. I give you a new commandment: love one another; just as I have loved you, you also must love one another. By this love you have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples.’
These are his last words; it is his testament!
A disciple is someone who tries to learn the job of his master, his way of doing and living. We have just seen how Jesus loved Judas. So, when I get angry because I want to change the other, I am not a disciple. When I say that I forgive but do not forget, I am not a disciple, when I pretend not to see the need of the other, I am not a disciple. There are many things that show me that I am not a disciple of Jesus, but discovering that he loves me despite this, and that his love is stronger than my sins makes me want to try to be a true disciple, because with him you and I can succeed. Nothing is impossible to God!