Gospel in Art: Tuesday of Holy Week

The Last Supper, German or South Netherlandish, 1500-1530 © Metropolitan Museum, New York

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 15 April 2025
John 13:21-33, 36-38

At that time: Jesus was reclining at table with his disciples. He was troubled in his spirit, and testified, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.' The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at the side of Jesus, so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, 'Lord, who is it?' Jesus answered, 'It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.' So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, 'What you are going to do, do quickly.' Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the money bag, Jesus was telling him, 'Buy what we need for the feast', or that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

When he had gone out, Jesus said, 'Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, "Where I am going you cannot come." '

Simon Peter said to him, 'Lord, where are you going?' Jesus answered him, 'Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterwards.' Peter said to him, 'Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.' Jesus answered, 'Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the cock will not crow till you have denied me three times.'

Reflection on the sculpture

In today's Gospel, three disciples are highlighted at the Last Supper: the disciple Jesus loved, Simon Peter, and Judas Iscariot. Each one represents a different response to discipleship. Judas stands as a symbol of complete betrayal. He even leaves the supper and steps into the night, beginning the path that leads to handing Jesus over. Peter, on the other hand, embodies a more complex story: he denies knowing Jesus three times, yet after the Resurrection, he reaffirms his love and ultimately lays down his life as a martyr. Then there is the beloved disciple, who represents unwavering faithfulness. According to John's Gospel, he stayed close to Jesus until the very end, even standing at the foot of the cross when others had fled.

Most of us likely identify with Peter: caught between love and fear, loyalty and weakness. He reminds us of the real, often messy, journey of faith. The beloved disciple represents who we aspire to be: consistently faithful and deeply devoted. Yet it is Peter, not the flawless disciple, whom Jesus entrusts with the care of his flock: 'Feed my lambs, feed my sheep.' This is a powerful reminder that Jesus does not wait for us to be perfect before inviting us into service!

Our early 16th century sculptural group depicts the Last Supper. Jesus is sitting in the middle at the top, with Peter to his right and John to his left. Judas is seen in the lower right clutching his bag of money, a reference to his future betrayal. The elaborate and detailed carving indicates that the sculpture came from an important ecclesiastical setting. It might have come from a sacristy or more likely a sacrament house. A sacrament house (or sacrament tower) in the Middle Ages was a special, often highly ornate architectural structure within a church, designed to house and protect the consecrated Eucharist. It served a similar function to what we now call the tabernacle, though the sacrament house was typically freestanding or built into a church wall, and often reached considerable heights, especially in Gothic churches in German-speaking regions.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/john-13-21-33-36-38-2025/ (with audio)