Vigils Reading – Wednesday of Holy Week

Is It I Rabbi?4
A Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew by St Jerome

And while they were eating, he said: “Amen I say to you that one of you is going to hand me over.” The one who had predicted his suffering also predicts his betrayer. He was giving room for repentance, so that when he had understood that Jesus knew his thoughts and secret plans, he might repent of his deed. And yet Jesus does not specifically point him out. For he might have become more impudent, had he been manifestly exposed. He casts the charge against the group, that the one who is aware of it might do penance.

And being very saddened, they each began to say: “Is it I, Lord?” At least eleven apostles knew that they were thinking no such thing against the Lord, but they believe the Master more than themselves. They fear their own weakness and ask him sorrowfully about the sin of which they did not have awareness. But he answered and said: “He will hand me over who dips his hand in the dish with me.” How admirable is the Lord’s patience! First he said: “One of you is going to hand me over.” The betrayer perseveres in his malice. Jesus exposes him more openly but does not reveal his proper name. While the others are saddened and are retracing their hands and are keeping food from their mouths, Judas, with the temerity and impudence by which he was going to commit the betrayal, even puts his hand in the dish with the Master. Thus he feigns a good conscience by this audacity…

Judas does not retrace his steps, even after being rebuked for his treachery not one time but twice. Instead, the Lord’s patience feeds his impudence, and he treasures up wrath for himself on the day of wrath. Punishment is predicted, that the threatened penalties might correct the one whom shame did not conquer. As for what follows: “It would be good for that man if he had not been born”; it is not to be thought on account of these words that he existed prior to his birth, on the grounds that it could not be well for anyone except for one who existed. Instead, it has been spoken literally, that it is much better not to exist than to exist badly…

The others were sad and had very sorrowfully asked: “Is it I, Lord?” Thus, lest he seem to betray himself by his silence, Judas himself asks in similar fashion: “Is it I, Rabbi?” He who had boldly put his hand in the dish was stung in his conscience. But in his words he adds either the affection of a flatterer or thesign of unbelief. For the others who were not going to betray say: “Is it I, Lord?” But he who was going to betray calls him not “Lord” but “Teacher.” It is as if he would have an excuse if he betrayed at most a teacher, having denied that he was Lord. “And he said to him: ‘You have said it.’” The betrayer is put to silence with the same response by which [Jesus] would later answer Pilate