The Betrayal And The Kiss

Jesus autem dixit ei: Juda, osculo Filium hominis tradis? Filium, inquit, hominis tradis, quia caro, non divinitas, comprehenditur. Illud tamen plus confutat ingratum, quod eum tradiderit, qui cum esset Dei Filius proper nos tamen Filius hominis esse voluit. Et quasi dicat: Propter te suscepi, ingrate, quod tradis. Interrgative sane pronuntiandum puto, quasi amantis affectu corripiat proditorem. Juda, osculo Filium hominis tradis? hoc est, amoris pignre vulnus infligis, et charitatis officio sanguinem fundis, et pacis instrumento mortem irrogas, servus Dominum, discipulus prodis magistrum, electus auctorem. Sanctus Beda, In Lucae Evangelium Expositio, Liber VI, Caput XXII Source: Migne PL 92.604b

And Jesus said to him, 'Judas, you betray the Son of man with a kiss?' 1 'You betray the Son of man,' He says, because the flesh is understood but not the Divinity. That, however, confutes the thankless one even more, because he would betray Him who as the Son of God yet wished to be a Son of man because of us. As if He said, 'Because of you I took up what you betray, O thankless one.' And this, I think, must be said interrogatively, as He corrects the traitor with the emotion of love. 'Judas, do you betray the Son of a man with a kiss?' That is, with the pledge of love you inflict a wound, and with the duty of charity you shed blood, and with the instrument of peace you impose death. A servant betrays his master, a pupil his teacher, a chosen one his Creator. Saint Bede, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke, Book 6, Chapter 22 1 Lk 22.48