The role of Judas

We have been reading the Living Bread discourse in John for nearly a week. Yet, the discourse ends in a discomforting note. Many followers gave up and left Jesus. It was a disastrous failure. Not long ago, Jesus was able to gather more than 5000 followers after the feeding miracle. Now, many left him because Jesus sounded like a crazy man. He said
I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh (John 6:51).
This teaching is a truth, a mystery beyond our understanding. Yet, this truth sounded too insane, bordering on cannibalism. (In the classical novel The Western Odysseus 西遊記, spider elves, fox nymphs and all sorts of demons would want to eat the flesh of the holy monk 唐玄奘 in order to acquire eternal life. Of course, they were defeated by the Monkey King, the most intelligent body guard for the holy monk. This is an interesting theme for anthropologists to pursue.) When Jesus turned to ask the Twelve Apostles if they would desert him like the others, Peter confessed that
Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life;
and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." (John 6:68-69)
Peter's confession sounded a bit negative and passive. The Twelve had abandoned everything to follow Jesus to pursue the Kingdom of Heaven. At stakes was everything they had given up, jobs and families. They had put their bet on Jesus. Where else could they go? Peter confessed that Jesus was the Holy One of God. Yet, Jesus revealed that one of the Twelve was a devil.
Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  (John 6:70)
What a contrast, the Holy One of God and a devil! That was why I earlier said that the Living Bread discourse ends in a discomforting note.
Judas was a devil. So, naturally, people will ask why Jesus selected him in the first place. Jesus would have chosen somebody loyal like Peter. Yet, he had chosen Judas. If the Twelve Apostles symbolize the 12 tribes of the Israel, does it imply that Jesus expected one of the 12 tribes would fail him in the future? What tribe would it be?
The 4 canonical gospels, without exception, portray Judas as the ultimate traitor. For the greed of 30 silver pieces, he betrayed his master with a kiss. Modern authors beg to disagree. This can be seen in many 20^th century movies which depict Judas as a pawn in a political plot or a disillusioned disciple. No doubt, Judas was instrumental in the arrest of Jesus because he had been very elusive and difficult for the Jewish authority to track down. Yet, was Judas indispensable for the death of Jesus? Should Judas be credited for accomplishing God's salvation plan?
Jesus would have escaped at several crucial moments. In front of the Sanhedrin, he would deny being the Son of God. In front of Pilate, he would deny being the king of the Jews. In fact, even if Jesus wanted to follow God's will to die for mankind, he would turn himself in to the Jewish authority without Judas.
Alas, Judas is indispensable in the story of salvation. He was truly human, like everyone of us. Without him, the band of Apostles would be too saintly to be credible. All of them were flawed like everyone of us. Simon Peter denied Jesus 3 times. James and John were hot-tempered and nicknamed 'Sons of Thunder'. Another Simon came from a terrorist gang called the Zealots. Thomas was a doubter etc. If they could be saints, so could we. But in reality, some may fall, like Judas, along the way. Judas is indispensable in warning us of our weaknesses.

My sweet Jesus, God granted us the opportunity to encounter You. We follow you. Yet, our weaknesses weigh us down. You have assured us that it is not a losing battle we are fighting. May Your Holy Spirit strengthen us to continue our way. Amen.