March
20, 2005
Passion Sunday
Mt
26:14 - 27:66
Thirty
pieces of silver. It was a tidy sum and easy to come by. All he had
to do was to lead the Jewish guards to where Jesus was spending the
night. Judas reassured himself that he was not doing anything illegal.
In fact, he had the law on his side. Anyway, if Jesus were as powerful
as the claimed to be, he should be well able to look after himself.
If he were not, then he was an impostor and should be removed for the
common good. Besides, the authorities would arrest him eventually so
he might as well have the thirty pieces of silver as anybody else.
All
in all, Judas reasoned, you have to take your chances, to get on in
life. He would look after himself and let the others do the same. One
cannot look after himself and let the others do the same. One cannot
look after everybody. There was a niggling doubt that betraying a man
was wrong but Judas quickly smothered that thought. He made his choice.
He probably did not foresee all the consequences of his actions and,
as we read in today's gospel, his regret-filled suicide did nothing
to undo the damage he had caused.
Many of us have
Judas' moments in our lives.