Matthew 26:22Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

When evening arrived, He reclined with His twelve disciples. Oh, the audacity of Judas! Present among them, he came to share in the sacred feast but was confronted even at the table, a moment where even an animal might have shown humility. The evangelist notes that while they were dining, Christ spoke about the betrayal, aiming to challenge the treachery of the traitor through the timing and the meal. After the disciples followed Jesus’ instructions, He proclaimed, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” Yet, before the meal began, Christ washed Judas’ feet.

The disciples grew anxious regarding their own well-being, for while their consciences were unblemished, their faith in Christ surpassed their self-reliance, knowing that the Lord understood their hearts far better than they understood themselves.

The eleven apostles were certain that they had conspired against the Lord in no way; they had more faith in their Master than in their own strength. Acknowledging their vulnerability, they would feel sorrow upon discovering a transgression they did not believe belonged to them.

Mark conveyed a similar message (Mark 14:19). Jesus Christ chose to unsettle and distress those around Him for the sake of leading the wayward disciple back to the path of righteousness. However, why did the others worry if they were not experiencing such feelings? It was because they regarded the Master as the embodiment of truth, and each of them feared that they might unwittingly fall into a state of misunderstanding.

The initial clear remarks made by the Savior regarding the betrayer had a profound impact on the disciples, as evidenced by the testimonies of the Evangelists Matthew and Mark. The gravity of the sin that, according to the Lord, one of His followers was poised to commit is indeed alarming. However, the devoted disciples of Christ hold steadfastly to the belief that their Master and Lord speaks the truth; He possesses the insight to discern the hearts of humanity. Simultaneously, they are already well-aware of the unpredictable nature of mankind. Each disciple, therefore, harbored personal fears, worried that the Lord might perceive in them a willingness to commit such a treacherous act.

They had received instruction and were aware of the capriciousness of the human heart. Now, they expressed their sorrow and began asking Him, each one of them, "Is it I, Lord?" Is it shameful for a sinner to doubt their own purity? Certainly not! It is a reflection of truth for them. Conversely, if they believed themselves to be blameless in all matters, they would succumb to destructive self-deception. The Savior remained silent. The genuine innocence and honesty of their hearts were a balm to Him, compensating for the callousness of one among them.

When the Son of Man envisioned how one of His beloved disciples would betray Him and become an instrument of His adversaries, it troubled His spirit. He stated clearly, "One of you will betray Me" (John 13:21). This revelation astounded everyone: how could a traitor arise from among them? Who could this be? The Lord proceeded to explain, "But the Son of Man is going away, as it has been prophesied about Him. Yet woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed; it would have been better for him not to have been born" (Matthew 26:21-24). The disciples were filled with sorrow, looking at one another and asking, "Is it I?" The Lord remained silent.

In the account of identifying the traitor Judas, the Gospel of Luke presents a concise version, mentioning that after Jesus foretold the betrayal, the disciples began to inquire among themselves as to who it might be. This moment is also noted by the Gospel of John, which describes the disciples looking around in confusion about whom Jesus was referring to. In contrast, the Gospels of Matthew and Mark do not mention this inquiry; instead, they convey the distress experienced by the disciples, who each questioned, ‘Is it I, Lord?’ To this, Jesus replied, ‘He that putteth his hand in the dish with me, this one shall betray me.’ Furthermore, only Matthew recounts that Judas himself asked, ‘Is it not I, Rabbi?’ receiving an affirmative response.

The discourse of Jesus left a profound impact on the remaining disciples: A betrayer among the selected twelve! This was dreadful! No one would have believed such a claim had Christ Himself not declared it. They exchanged terrified glances, eager to elicit a confession from the traitor, yet Judas chose to remain mute. Consequently, they began to discuss among themselves, speculating which of them could commit such betrayal. Their efforts proved fruitless. Heartbroken, they approached Jesus one at a time, asking, ‘Is it I, Lord?’, ‘Is it I?’. However, their inquiries went unanswered.

This declaration impacted them profoundly, instilling fear within their hearts, and each, sensing a degree of uncertainty, turned to the Savior with inquiries: ‘Am I not the Lord?’

They started to ask Him, expressing their discomfort at the harsh news, which stemmed from their awareness of their own innocence and the integrity of their bond with the Master. This was swiftly manifested in the disciples’ wish to clear themselves of any doubt through an open and honest inquiry, seeking to determine together who the betrayer was among them. “Is it not I, Lord?” each one questioned. It appears that only Judas refrained from posing this inquiry about himself, opting to ask it only after he had been identified and accused.

The distressed disciples, unable to find a clear answer within themselves, approached the Lord individually, asking Him, "Is this food, Lord? Is this food?" Some of them sought comfort in the thought that perhaps the betrayer was not truly among the chosen of the twelve. The astonishment of those gathered that evening, and the dread they felt, intensified when they realized that the betrayer was near, in fact, sitting right at the table!