Judas
Today’s Gospel reading from Matthew speaks of the betrayal of Jesus by Judas. In his chapter by that name in The Lord, Romano Guardini suggests that none of Jesus’ followers had much cause to look down on Judas. Nor, he argues, do we:
Betrayal of the divine touches us all. What can I betray? That which has entrusted itself to my loyalty. But God–entrusted to me? Precisely. God did not reveal himself merely by teaching a truth, giving us commands to which he attaches consequences, but by coming to us, personally. His truth is himself. And to him who hears, he gives his own strength, again himself. To hear God means to accept him. To believe means to accept him in truth and loyalty. The God we believe in is the God who “comes” into heart and spirit, surrendering himself to us. He counts on the loyalty of that heart, the chivalry of that spirit.
Why? Because when God enters the world, he puts aside his omnipotence. His truth renounces force, as his will renounced coercive power which would set the consequences immediately after every deed. God enters the world defenseless, a silent, patient God. He “emptied himself, taking the nature of a slave” (Phil 2:7). All the more profound his summons to the believer: Recognize an unassuming God! Be loyal to defenseless majesty!
And yet, aren’t there many days in our lives in which we sell him, against our best knowledge, against our most sacred feelings, in spite of duty and love, for some vanity, or sensuality, or profit, or security, or some private hatred or vengeance? Are these more than thirty pieces of silver? We have little cause to speak of”the traitor” with indignation or as someone far away long ago. Judas himself unmasks us. We understand his Christian significance in the measure that we understand him from our own negative possibilities, and we should beg God not to let the treachery into which we constantly fall become fixed within us. The name Judas stands for established treason, betrayal that has sealed the heart, preventing it from finding the road back to genuine contrition.
The connection between Jesus as “slave” (Philippians) whom we sell for thirty pieces of silver is brilliant.
My view of Judas has been colored by Tim Rice and “Jesus Christ, Superstar”, as a man who meant well but just couldn’t see Jesus as He really was and is.
Compared to, for example, the betrayer in The Matrix (sorry, don’t recall the character’s name), who betrays his band of rebels while drinking brandy and smoking a cigar, Rice’s picture is a much richer and more challenging portrait.
When it comes to betrayal and denial, though, I always come back to Peter, blustering his loyalty but failing when put to the test. But then, later still, redeemed and inflamed, preaching fearlessly and working wonders.
What did Judas actually do? In reading books about the historicity of the Gospels, you often find the argument that the story of Judas is to embarrassing to have been included were it not historically true. (That makes sense to me.) But what about the details? Would the authorities actually have needed the cooperation of Judas to find Jesus somewhere where they could arrest him away from the crowds? (The crowds that Pilate addressed didn’t seem to object to the arrest of Jesus.) Couldn’t they have just followed him? Jesus is presented in the Gospels as a very public person. It seems to me Judas must have done something worse that leading soldiers to Jesus.
Hi, David,
The four Gospels seem to agree on these details:
* The religious leaders were agreed that Jesus must die
* Judas went to them and conspired with them
* Jesus told his disciples at the Last Supper that one of them would betray him
* Judas led an armed mob to have Jesus arrested and brought to the religious authorities
Beyond that, there are details included by some but not all. E.g. Luke and John state that Satan induced Judas to betray Jesus. All but Luke have Jesus revealing Judas’ identity by dipping food into the dish with him. The synoptics but not John have Judas greet Jesus in the garden with a kiss. The synoptics say that Judas received money, but I believe only Matthew specifies that it is 30 pieces of silver.