Since
the incident narrated in these verses, the name Judas has been infamously sneered
at. When a person is nicknamed “Judas,” it simple means that he is considered a
traitor or a betrayal. Unfortunately in the band of Jesus’ Twelve disciples,
there was a Judas Iscariot. Books had been written about him trying to explain
why and how he could do it. Here is how Matthew narrated it. Prior to the Passover
feast that Jesus had with them, Judas approached the chief priest and offered
to betray Jesus for a price. They paid him 30 pieces of silver immediately and
from thence, Judas began watching out for an opportunity to do Jesus in.
Judas
is truly one of the saddest, mysterious figure in the Gospel. No one could tell
his intention. Although Jesus knew about Judas’ intention, He did not expose
him. When the Lord said, “…one of you will betray me,” none of the other eleven
turned around and pointed their fingers at Judas. As far as they were
concerned, he was a friend and a comrade in mission. Together with them, he also
witnessed the miracles Jesus did, and heard His teaching. He was there with
Peter and concurred with his declaration of Christ, saying “…You are the Son of
the Living God.” He was with them in Jerusalem and even laid his cloak on the
street and joined in the choral of “Hosanna.” He was probably watching gleefully
when Jesus overthrew the table of the money changers and cleansed the Temple.
He was certainly no different from the rest. No matter how much we may
investigate and try to seek an answer for why Judas did what he did, we will
never get the true answer. The nature of evil is just like that, dark and
dangerous.
The
money perhaps was incidental to his intention to betray Jesus, although it did
help to put him on that course. His decision to betray Jesus came first. It was
probably due to his disappointment with Jesus who had caused such a stir in
Jerusalem and had the crowd behind Him, yet was talking about His soon coming death.
Instead of planning for a great takeover and become king, Jesus was almost
resigned to the fact that He had to face the cross. Judas could also have
revolutionary ideas like many and even coveted the position that John and James
had openly requested of the Lord. It could also well be that he was eyeing a
nice retirement after Jesus had taken over the kingdom and live the rest of his
life in ease. Who can really know why Judas did what he did?
In
the middle of all these, we are told Jesus once again had the last supper arranged.
And at the supper, He again announced His impending death, but this time it was
tinted with the sadness of a coming betrayal. We all know that Jesus went to the
cross totally wounded by humanity’s common wounds. It’s not just about the sinful
acts we commit, but more for the sinful nature that drives our sinful desires
into actions – greed, lust, ambition and the list can go on unendingly.
When
Jesus told them about the betrayal, everyone, even Judas, gave the same refrain,
“…surely not I, Lord!” Each one of them
said that refrain because they each knew that it could well be anyone of them.
There is no one that sin could not, cannot and had not molested. Just imagine
the graciousness of Jesus, that despite all their flaws, He would share a meal
with them. Now just imagine that at every communion we partake in church, Jesus
comes and shares that meal with us. Oh, what grace! Oh, what magnanimity!
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