Daily Gospel Reflection for October 28, 2026

Explore how Jesus's choice of Judas Iscariot reveals the paradox of God's plan, showing that even suffering can lead to ultimate good in our lives.

Today's Gospel: Luke 6:12-26

Jesus could have picked anyone, but “from them he chose Twelve.”  He handpicked those dozen men. One might have expected that the almighty king of the universe would choose the best and brightest as His leaders. Instead, He chose impulsive Peter, delinquent Matthew, and teenaged John. No doubt, all of the chosen apostles had glaring shortcomings. However, the most confusing and frustrating choice was the great betrayer, Judas Iscariot.

We know that Judas ushered in the torture and death of Our Lord. Why would Jesus call this great sinner to His side, knowing what would happen? How could He have made such a terrible mistake as to put the villain in His inner circle? This confounding choice is proof that God’s ways are not our ways. It makes no sense to chose your own betrayer as one of your closest confidants. Even 2,000 years later, it seems like He got it wrong.

Imagine how His disciples must have felt seeing their Lord, the miracle-working rabbi with all of heaven and earth at His disposal, hanging dead on the cross, betrayed by one of their own. It is only with eyes of faith that we can see that paradox of triumph. Jesus took the greatest evil and turned it into His greatest victory.

How often do we feel like Jesus got something wrong in our lives, like He made a mistake or forgot to make it right? When we cannot make sense of the futility of our situations or the suffering in our families, we can find comfort in knowing that sometimes God’s plan uses precisely these hopeless things for good. Even when He allows the most contradictory and unjust realities to bubble up in our lives, somehow He will turn that Judas kiss into the fulfillment of his divine will.

Ponder:

What is one difficult area in my life where it seems impossible to see the goodness of God's divine will?

Pray:

Lord, help me to truly believe that You can bring good out of the suffering and uncertainty in my life. 

Pray Together:

Spend some time looking at broken and beaten Jesus on the cross, remembering how He allowed the greatest suffering as part of His plan for the ultimate good.

Copyright 2026 Katie Klements