lenten blog | March 27, 2024

A more complicated Judas

Throughout the year, the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ reproduces the Daily Lectionary for use by churches.  These are the suggested readings for March 27th:  Psalm 70; Isaiah 50:4-9a; Hebrews 12:1-3; and John 13:21-32.  I would encourage you to read these short selections as part of your Lenten practice.

Today is Holy Wednesday.  At Bible study on Monday evening, we were discussing the events of Holy Week as found in Matthew’s Gospel.  One of the issues we talked about was Judas’ betrayal of Jesus.  It is different than the one shared in today’s Gospel passage.  John tells us:  “Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, ‘Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.’ The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking.  …  After [Judas] received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him.”  In this account, if we take the text at its word, then all of the disciples were confused by Jesus’ accusation of betrayal.  This changes suddenly and dramatically when Satan enters Judas.  This hints at a supernatural component that tilts the balance unfairly.  Judas was as uncertain as were all the disciples when Jesus broached the charge of betrayal, but then “when Satan enters Judas” the plot is set in motion.  I put little credence into devil stories because they play lightly with the heavy subject of moral responsibility.

The moral dilemma is much clearer in Matthew’s Gospel as we discussed earlier this week at Bible study and therefore much more intriguing.  Jesus is anointed at the house of Simon the leper in Matthew 26.  All of the disciples are offended by this action.  All the disciples, consistent with Jesus’ proclamation, complain that the money spent on this extravagance could better have been spent on helping the poor.  On this occasion, however, Jesus rebukes all the disciples and accepts this personal extravagance that had been bestowed upon Him. 

Matthew links this act with the conjunction “then” (26:14) so that Judas agrees to betray Jesus because of this extravagance.  The betrayal could not have been as simple as handing Jesus over at an opportune time.  The Romans could easily have tracked Jesus who was quite a public figure in Jerusalem at this time, and their soldiers would have had little difficulty dealing with any confrontation.  The betrayal must have been something more profound.

When Judas confronts Jesus, his sarcastic greeting is “‘Rabbi,’” teacher. (26:49)  At this point, teacher is an insufficient acknowledgement of Jesus, but it is as far as Judas could reach.  Did Judas see Jesus as the teacher who promoted the poor and the downtrodden, and who castigated the powerful and their trappings?  Did Judas feel betrayed by the teacher when Jesus accepted the anointing at Bethany as Him being something of more value than helping the poor?  Was Judas prepared to betray Jesus to the religious authorities by testifying to Jesus’ blasphemy, that Jesus claimed to be more than teacher, because of the affront at Bethany?

When Jesus was tried before the religious court, the trial falls into confusion because no capital charge will stick.  Jesus could have walked away if He had said nothing because the case against Him was in tatters.  Was this because Judas never showed up?  Was Judas the star witness of blasphemy, a capital crime?  Because he fails to show, does the case crumble?

If so, why didn’t Judas show?  Did Judas have second thoughts?  Did Judas have reservations about turning on Jesus?  If, like in John, Judas’ betrayal was not truly premeditated, that no one was planning concretely to betray Jesus and were all surprised by the revelation, but that Judas’ act was more a visceral reaction of anger against Jesus’ anointing at Bethany, a sudden turn that almost could feel like Satan intervened, then maybe Judas had a chance to think more carefully about his betrayal, and maybe Judas could not actually go through with it.  Maybe that’s why the case against Jesus was in disarray.

I don’t find much worth in stories of Satan because the human origin of our faults is much more convincing.  Furthermore, what are we mortals to do in combat with the supernatural?  It’s not a fair fight.  However, when we look at the world we create and we tolerate, then if we made it, then we can remake it.  Lent is our chance to remake ourselves, and maybe help to remake the world.  In this Holy Week, Lent’s last week, let us see Lent as that Spring-like rebirth that give us the chance of change.   
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If you’d like, here is the link to the Southern New England Conference’s daily reading schedule:  www.sneucc.org/lectionary.