Judas had been with Jesus the last three and a half years, talking with him, eating with him, hearing him teach; even keeping the money purse for expenses. 

Judas Iscariot was his full name. 

As far as Judas was concerned, it was a stroke of luck that Jesus invited him to be one of his close disciples. What irony, since Judas was a petty thief. As keeper of the purse, he was convinced it was a reward for not running off with the whole purse, a temptation he regularly resisted.

But Judas also thought, “Why would I run? Jesus is the most popular speaker in Israel. Any day now, he will turn his attention to Jerusalem, and not even the Romans will be able to stop him.” 

Certain Jesus’ closest allies would help him rise to power, Judas saw the windfall of this situation. Gold and jewels like the priests and teachers of the law already acquired; that’s what came next. The only thing that offended Judas was not that they acquired their wealth by dishonest gain, but that they received it from Rome.

Anyway, it was all coming together. The scriptures foretold the coming of the great king who would defeat his enemies. So the country was electric with expectation that Jesus might be the one. “If he rises to power, so will I,” thought Judas. 

One uncertainty, however; did Jesus have the political ambition to claim the throne? He said the right words. Blessed are the peacemakers. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are the hungry. But he had this uncanny habit of disappearing every time a crowd wanted to proclaim him king. 

Nevertheless, ordinary people kept gathering around him everywhere he spoke. 

But opposition was also growing within the ranks of the religious elite, especially the Chief priests, Pharisees and Scribes. 

And it had increased greatly ever since he raised Lazarus in Bethany right in front of them. Judas and everyone else knew they were jealous, but he could also see the concern on their faces as they wondered if they would be able to hold on to their power and keep Rome from crashing in and ruining the good thing they had going. 

The Passover would provide the perfect opportunity to make the necessary adjustments. Have a little dinner. Go to Gethsemane where they always went on Thursdays. For 30 pieces of silver it seemed like the perfect plan.

Judas did not appreciate Mary anointing Jesus’s feet with oil on Passover night. “Why wasn’t this ointment sold and the proceeds given to the poor?” he shouted. It made it more difficult for him to steal larger sums of money from the purse.

For fear of being discovered, he was relieved when Jesus leaned over to him and offered him a piece of unleavened bread. But darkness rushed over his soul when Jesus said to him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.”

The next morning Judas was seized with remorse. He never actually expected Jesus to be sentenced to death. When he tried to return the money to the priests, they just sneered. 

Few men were as fortunate as Judas Iscariot and none as cursed — a man who saw the light but chose darkness instead. 

What does Judas’ story suggest to us about the condition of the human heart? Jesus reminds us, “the heart is desperately wicked, who can know it?” Judas chose to follow his heart rather than Jesus. 

In what ways does this aspect about Judas challenge you?

— Reflections appears regularly on the religion page. The column features a variety of local writers, coordinated through the Monroe Area Clergy Group. Rick Haworth is pastor of Hope Evangelical Free Church in Monroe.