Why did Jesus give Communion to Judas, knowing he would sin?

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I was thinking it might be because Jesus, as the Priest and Human, respected the freedom of conscience of Judas and still wanted to see whether Judas commits the sin or not. Of course, Jesus, as God, knew the outcome in advance anyway, but this is a different thing.

What is the Church’s teaching?
 
If all people are sinners and we will all slip up, then by the logic of this no one can take communion… excommunication Minority Report style!
 
JurisPrudens said:
I was thinking it might be because Jesus, as the Priest and Human, respected the freedom of conscience of Judas and still wanted to see whether Judas commits the sin or not. Of course, Jesus, as God, knew the outcome in advance anyway, but this is a different thing.

What is the Church’s teaching?
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Jesus also knew Peter would betray him. Yet Peter receives bread and wine also. The difference is that Judas did not “accept” God’s mercy and forgiveness while Peter did. They both repented, but Judas hung himself and a few days later his body fell and burst open.
 
Jesus doesn’t scheme.
Judas still had free will like each of us.
 
So, do I get it right, that Judas had a chance to be saved until he took Communion, but he did not change his mind, so he took Communion unworthily and “to his own damnation”? :confused:
 
JurisPrudens said:
So, do I get it right, that Judas had a chance to be saved until he took Communion, but he did not change his mind, so he took Communion unworthily and “to his own damnation”? :confused:
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We don’t know what Judas was thinking when he took communion and we will never know. The important thing is that Judas obviously went down the wrong path in subsequent events. For us the lesson is to, as Pope Francis says, “be docile to the Holy Spirit.”
 
JurisPrudens said:
So, do I get it right, that Judas had a chance to be saved until he took Communion, but he did not change his mind, so he took Communion unworthily and “to his own damnation”? :confused:
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No one can know for sure if one is “damned”. But, I do think that sometimes Judas gets a bad rap. Consider this possibility. Judas took a risk, an enormous risk and it did not go well as we all know. But it could be that Judas was demonstrating faith, great faith in the Lord. I believes he expected Jesus to call on a legion of angels to avoid what ultimately happened. It might be said, that Judas was trying to force Jesus’ hand by selling him out for 30 pieces of silver. Was he wrong? Of course. But, I think Judas loved Jesus. He might have been a bit frustrated because Jesus, as messiah, was something different than what Judas thought he should be.

When Judas realized the outcome, he was devastated and distraught. This is not the reaction one would expect from someone who wanted Jesus to be stopped. Filled with despair, he took his own life.

In modern times, the Church teaches that those who commit suicide are victims of their own psychological and emotional distress. These factors mitigate the sin. Further, Judas may have felt in his own way that what he was doing was actually good. After all, why not let the glory of our Lord be shown. And, Judas was right in the middle of making it happen. He never dreamed that God would ever let Jesus be crucified! Lack of knowledge again mitigates the sin and may even eliminate it all together.

Jesus said from the cross, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do”. Is our Lord including Judas? In this year of mercy, we might do well to pray for the salvation of all souls, including Judas. I can say with some certainty that I too have grossly offended our Lord. If Judas can obtain mercy, then maybe somehow, I can too. If I ever get to heaven, I really hope to see Judas there. It will make my day!
 
JurisPrudens said:
So, do I get it right, that Judas had a chance to be saved until he took Communion, but he did not change his mind, so he took Communion unworthily and “to his own damnation”? :confused:
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Judas had a chance to be saved up until the moment he was dead. Peter did not despair in his betrayal of Jesus, but Judas did. The betrayal’s had not happened before the last supper. Neither Judas or Peter were unworthy of eating the Lord’s supper at the moment it was eaten. The sin’s of the two happened afterward.
I also wouldn’t care to judge the state of Judas’ soul.
 
1Lord1Faith said:
Judas had a chance to be saved up until the moment he was dead. Peter did not despair in his betrayal of Jesus, but Judas did. The betrayal’s had not happened before the last supper. N**either Judas or Peter were unworthy of eating the Lord’s supper at the moment it was eaten. The sin’s of the two happened afterward. **
I also wouldn’t care to judge the state of Judas’ soul.
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Well, we cannot take Communion if we are **planning **to sin! 😦 At least, this is what I was told at the RCIA!

As to the state of Judas’s soul, this fragment seems curious to me:
21 When Jesus had said these things, he was troubled in spirit; and he testified, and said: Amen, amen I say to you, one of you shall betray me. … [24] Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, and said to him: Who is it of whom he speaketh? [25] He therefore, leaning on the breast of Jesus, saith to him: Lord, who is it?
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[26] Jesus answered: He it is to whom I shall reach bread dipped. And when he had dipped the bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. [27] And after the morsel, Satan entered into him. And Jesus said to him: That which thou dost, do quickly.
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I tend to interpret the bold fragment as the exact sign of Judas’ soul state at the moment of Communion. Of course, we don’t know exactly in what state he was at the time of death, but that’s not what I’m talking about.
 
JurisPrudens said:
Well, we cannot take Communion if we are **planning **to sin! 😦 At least, this is what I was told at the RCIA! .
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The apostles knew nothing about communion at the time of the last supper. Expecting them to follow the catechism and canon law is unwarranted.
 
Thomas_Ruin said:
The apostles knew nothing about communion at the time of the last supper. Expecting them to follow the catechism and canon law is unwarranted.
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But we expect Jesus to show us the example, from which our Catechism and Canon law follow.

Well, I am still tending to solve this by holding that the knowledge of Jesus about the state of the mind of the communicants was of Divine origin, so, He did not take this knowledge into account when distributing Communion.
 
JurisPrudens said:
But we expect Jesus to show us the example, from which our Catechism and Canon law follow.

Well, I am still tending to solve this by holding that the knowledge of Jesus about the state of the mind of the communicants was of Divine origin, so, He did not take this knowledge into account when distributing Communion.
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I suggest we all read Pope Francis on Charity and Law and the sacraments as healing
 
JurisPrudens said:
But we expect Jesus to show us the example, from which our Catechism and Canon law follow.

Well, I am still tending to solve this by holding that the knowledge of Jesus about the state of the mind of the communicants was of Divine origin, so, He did not take this knowledge into account when distributing Communion.
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Apparently Judas left before eating the bread Jesus gave him. Judas also did not hear the Last Supper Discourse on the meaning of His life, the new covenant, pentecost, etc.
 
Jesus did it to fulfill the Scripture…

Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted,
who ate of my bread, has lifted his heel against me.
(Psalm 41:9)

-Tim-
 
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