עָקֵב֒

Then Jesus took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!’ Then they began to ask one another which one of them it could be who would do this. (Luke 22:19-23)

Anina sat, observing Simon Peter as he continued washing the disciples’ feet. Thomas took his place beside her.

“How did you decide Simon should be the one to wash everyone’s feet?” she asked.

Thomas shrugged.

“He’s Peter.”

She recalled that evening when Jesus had washed their feet. It shocked everyone, not least because he had interrupted their supper by doing it. And then he put his robe back on and continued as if it had been the most natural thing in the world.

Saying, “You also ought to wash one another’s feet,” Jesus had broken the bread and blessed the cup, all while uttering those cryptic words about his body being “given” for them. And about a “new covenant” written in his blood.

What did he mean by all that? She wondered.

Then the mood in that upper room had turned very dark, she remembered. Jesus quoted King David: “Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted, who ate of my bread, has lifted the heel against me.”

“I tell you the truth,” he had said. “One of you will betray me.”

“Thomas, do you remember when the Teacher gave Judas the bread?”

After John had asked him to identify the betrayer, Jesus indicated Judas by handing him a piece of the loaf.

“Yes,” said Thomas. “And then he told him to ‘Go do what you’re going to do, quickly.’ Like he wanted him to get it over with.”

Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Thomas had liked him, even though he was kind of a rascal. He was always very practical, Thomas thought. He saw things just as they were. Much like Thomas himself.

Also, Judas was a funny guy. Or at least the tried to be.

“We could sell these fish for one million denarii each,” Judas had said once. “Then we only have to sell one!”

It was an old joke. But Thomas had laughed at it anyway.

“Do you think he had a choice?” Anina asked.

“A choice?”

“Yes. Do you think Judas had a choice? The Teacher said all of it was bound to happen. That it was ‘determined’. Like it couldn’t be avoided, no matter what.”

Thomas was silent for a moment. Immediately after Judas had left the room, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him.”

Thomas turned his head to look into his sister’s questioning eyes.

“Poor Judas,” he said. “He even tried to give the money back.”