Matthew 26:17-30

¹⁷ On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover meal?”
 ¹⁸ He replied, “Go into the city, to a certain man, and say, ‘The teacher says, “My time is near. I’m going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.” ’” ¹⁹ The disciples did just as Jesus instructed them. They prepared the Passover.
 ²⁰ That evening he took his place at the table with the twelve disciples. ²¹ As they were eating he said, “I assure you that one of you will betray me.”
 ²² Deeply saddened, each one said to him, “I’m not the one, am I, Lord?”
 ²³ He replied, “The one who will betray me is the one who dips his hand with me into this bowl. ²⁴ The Human One goes to his death just as it is written about him. But how terrible it is for that person who betrays the Human One! It would have been better for him if he had never been born.”
 ²⁵ Now Judas, who would betray him, replied, “It’s not me, is it, Rabbi?”
   Jesus answered, “You said it.” (CEB)

It was not as if Jesus had no idea Judas was about to betray Him and yet He still invited Judas to the table. We cannot afford to miss the weight of this act. Jesus chooses to share with one He knows will hurt Him.

Scratch out Judas' name and put yours or mine and the invitation from Jesus reads the same: "I know that you already have, and will likely again, hurt, betray, ignore me but your seat at the table is always open and ready for you. Come not because you deserve it, but because you're invited."

What do you find meaningful, confusing, or challenging in this passage?