Judas

Judas was a thief. We don’t know much about him other than that. The Bible is quiet about most of his sins. Only two made it to print. The big one is treason against Jesus, turning states evidence for thirty pieces of silver. The other is his sleight of hand, reaching into the money bag for a little pick-me-up when no one was looking. But with Jesus, someone’s always looking. You ain’t getting away with nothing.

Judas was the man who turned the whole thing upside down. At least, that’s how it looked from the outside. You gotta wonder if he was ever really on team Jesus or if he knew the end game from the start. You’d think he’d try for more than thirty pieces if it were the plan all along. Judas seems to me the guy who wasn’t so much the setup man as the man set up. He never really repented. Never really followed. Never really changed. Jesus didn’t need anybody to tell him what was inside. He knew the heart of man. But he called him anyway. Like it was the plan. To use a guy who’d never change to change the world. His heart was too hard from the beginning. Jesus’s grace bounced right off. It never even cracked. Somehow, that made him just the right guy to carry out God’s will. 

What did the others think of Judas? Not after his betrayal but before. Was he liked? Did he fit in? I wonder if he laughed at their jokes. Maybe he had some of his own. He probably didn’t ask a lot of questions. Guys trying to hide their actions keep quiet if they know what’s good for them. Don’t ask too much. Don’t offer too much. Do the thing and get out. Keep your mouth shut. Move along. Keep the wheels turning to cover the tracks you don’t want nobody noticing. 

But there was that one question in John 12, when Mary busted the jar of perfume and poured it all over Jesus. It was an act of worship, and he broke up the party to file a complaint. That was good money she just threw away, and for what? Jesus? He’d throw him away later. Jesus was cheap. That perfume, though, now that was rich stuff. Three hundred denarii stuff. Doesn’t come around very often. 

But maybe other times, he was nice enough. Jesus called him. Made him a disciple. An apostle, even. Gave him the money bag and said, “Keep watch.” He was good at that. Could probably tell you exactly how much money was in there at any given time. Crooks know that kind of stuff. They know the stuff others don’t pay attention to. That’s how they make it. There isn’t another way. Details and more details. His eyes were so focused on the bag he didn’t see much else. That’s what did him in. The bag got light, and the perfume got spilled, and Judas started jonesing for another payday. Where would it come from this time? He knew a guy who knew a guy. They’d eyed each other before. Made some kind of silent deal to meet up later and get the plan down pat.

Then the time came, and Jesus seemed to know. How he knew, Judas didn’t know. He didn’t care. The plan was the plan, and that was that. He made the deal, and it couldn’t be undone. His eye stayed on the bag like Jesus told him to do. He was obeying. The deed just didn’t match the intent. That’s usually the problem. We listen but don’t. We obey but rebel. We think we got it, but it all goes wrong. Sometimes we don’t mean to. Sometimes we do. Judas meant to. He intentionally misheard. He purposefully kept his eyes down, on the bag, away from Jesus.

Judas was the guy on the corner making the big deal without knowing the big deal was yet to come. After dipping the bread in the cup, he went out at dark cause that’s when things like this go down. He hustled to the rendezvous point and got his share of the dough. Then, he took the crew to the garden, and with a kiss, he sealed his fate, Jesus’ fate, and the whole world’s fate.

His father, the Devil, had a plan. But it was a bad one. He thought he’d slip in when nobody was looking and do the dirty deed real cheap. But with Jesus, someone’s always looking. He tried to steal Jesus, but all he got was Judas. 

Judas realized what he’d done. He threw the silver back one by one, but it was too late. No refunds on sin. Guilt tracked him down, snuck up behind him, and put the knife to his throat. He wasn’t getting away. Guilt was too strong. It was over. Guilt took him out to the field, had him tie his own noose, throw the rope over the tree, and climb on in. Guilt took him down. That’s what it does unless grace comes chasing.

Grace was busy on the other side of town. The plan was in full motion by then. Judas tried to steal something but gave something instead. The man Judas kissed took a walk down another road toward another tree. Guilt didn’t take him there. Betrayal forced him there. Greed paid his way. But love made him walk.

Did Jesus love Judas? You have to think he did. Doesn’t he love everyone? But Judas didn’t love Jesus, and that’s what did him in. His eye was on the bag, and Jesus said you can’t serve two masters.