Some thought that, since Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, 'Buy what we need for the festival,' or, perhaps, to give something to the poor — even at the moment of betrayal's exposure, the disciples misinterpret Jesus' words through the lens of ordinary economic reality. This is a poignant detail: Judas, entrusted with the community's funds, is free to leave undetected, his mission cloaked in a routine errand. The reference to giving to the poor is almost satirical—the disciples think Jesus is commanding charity even as the deed of ultimate treachery is being set in motion. The gap between surface reality and hidden intention is complete.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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