Luke 22:21Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

There is no greater wretchedness than a soul that remains obstinately unyielding. For consider the words of the Lord, ‘Behold the hand of him who betrays Me is with Me at the table,’ yet the fool has not regained his understanding. The Lord expresses this not only to reveal His foreknowledge of the impending events but also to illustrate His grace alongside the treachery of the betrayer, who shamelessly joined Him at the feast while still pursuing his nefarious plan. Moreover, the Lord offers us a lesson through this example: we must strive until the very end to uplift those who stumble.

However, Judas, the one who betrayed Him and shared in His meal, was reprimanded by the words spoken by Christ: 'But behold the hand of him that betrayeth Me is with Me at the table.' In his profound foolishness, or rather his diabolical pride, he thought he could outsmart Christ, even though He is the Almighty. As I have pointed out, Judas was judged as thoroughly evil, detestable to God, and treacherous; despite this, he was allowed to be part of the table and found deserving of divine mercy until the very end. Yet, this only intensified his punishment. As Christ remarked through the words of the Psalmist, 'If an enemy reproached me, I endured; and if he that hated me spoke proudly against me, I hid myself from him. But you, My fellow-worker, My neighbor and My acquaintance, in My company have pleased Me with viands, and we have gone to the house of the Lord in harmony.'

Contrary to what some inattentive readers might assume, Judas did not partake of the true body of Christ during the Supper. It is important to note that even at that moment, the Lord distributed the sacrament of His Body and Blood to all present, including Judas, as St. Luke clearly states. This leads to a moment described by John, in which the Lord dips a piece of bread and offers it to Judas, unmistakably identifying the betrayer, perhaps symbolizing the hypocrisy of Judas through the soaked bread. Not everything that is dampened is cleansed; some things are simply colored by the moisture. Therefore, if this act of wetting represents something virtuous, Judas’ subsequent condemnation for rejecting that good is warranted.

From the apostles, it is undoubtedly true that when the Lord provided bread to His disciples, He was offering them the sacrament of His body. Likewise, it must be understood that when He presented bread to His betrayer, it served as the sacrament of His death. By dipping the bread, He revealed Judas' complete involvement in His death, for His body was to be immersed in His blood. It is possible that the act of dipping was to indicate that He would not confer the covenant along with the bread. He moistened the bread and handed it to Judas, cleansing it from the former covenant and preparing it for the new.

Examine the earlier section for the explanation of the passage: ‘And when they had eaten, Jesus took bread, and having blessed it, broke it and gave it to the disciples.’ Also, consider the continuation up to the phrase, ‘And when they had sung, they went up to the Mount of Olives’ (Matthew 26:30). You will find a thorough examination, as everything is addressed comprehensively. The phrase, ‘which is shed for you,’ pertains to the term ‘cup,’ and this cup represents His blood.

The divine love, willing to sacrifice itself for humanity, instituted the sacred mystery of the Eucharist, which serves as the wellspring of life for people. Following the Last Supper, the compassionate Savior once more extends a warning to Judas, the betrayer, and reflects on the profound meaning of His impending sacrifice. "The hand of him who betrays Me is with Me at the banquet," declared the heavenly Teacher after presenting the cup of the new covenant. There is an abundance of divine love at this gathering, yet simultaneously the hand of the betrayer is present. Is this not an egregious act of ingratitude? Once again, the Lord refrains from explicitly naming the traitor, yet the gravity of the betrayal is rendered even more acute in light of this extraordinary experience of love—an experience of unparalleled magnificence.

The hands of many enemies of Christ are at the table with Him even today, for what table is not Christ's table? On what table are not His gifts? He is the host, and He bestows food and drink upon His guests. His guests have nothing of their own, nothing! All good, all wealth that comes to them comes to them through Christ's hands.

When the Son of Man envisioned one of His beloved disciples turning against Him and becoming a tool for His adversaries, it caused distress within His spirit. He spoke openly, declaring, "One of you will betray Me" (John 13:21). This shocking revelation left the others in astonishment—how could a traitor arise from among them? Who could this be? The Lord continued, "But the Son of Man departs, as it has been written about Him. However, woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed; it would have been better for that man if he had never been born" (Matthew 26:21-24). The disciples were filled with despair, looking at each other and asking, "Is it I?" The Lord remained quiet.

In the account detailing the identification of the betrayer Judas, there is a notable distinction in the Hebrew perspective. The Gospel of Luke presents the scenario succinctly, indicating that following Christ’s warning about the betrayer, the disciples began to inquire of one another about who among them would commit the act. This notion is similarly highlighted by the Gospel of John, where it is mentioned that the disciples looked around in confusion, uncertain of whom He was referring to.

Jesus felt deep sorrow for the one who would betray Him. During this final meal, Judas's presence created discomfort; he should have departed, allowing Jesus to be alone with the other apostles. Instead, he remained and looked defiantly at those around him. To signify that he was not needed there, Jesus addressed all the apostles, saying, “Truly, truly, I say to you that one of you will betray Me” (John 13:21).

The disciples did not give adequate attention to this teaching, and after the washing was finished, they settled down at the table for the meal. The central and most important position was taken by the Lord, with John reclining on His right side, and Judas Iscariot apparently on His left, having presumptuously claimed that seat for himself in his role as steward of the shared cup, which afforded him a perceived advantage over the others. Peter was situated at the edge of the next couch, to Judas's left. When the meal commenced, the Lord began to reveal the meaning of His actions, serving as a powerful illustration of the humility they should show one another. However, His gaze fell upon Judas, and He felt deep sorrow in His spirit.

"Look at the hand," etc.: The writer of Hebrews provides a summary of the Lord's mention of his traitor. For more specifics, refer to Matthew 26:21-25 and Mark 14:18-21, along with relevant notes.