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43. Judas
Iscariot.
Meanwhile, the
priests and elders of the people were holding a council in the house of
Caiaphas the high priest to see how they could take Jesus by stealth.
They did not have the heart to take him prisoner in public. They feared
resistance and rebellion. Many of Jesus' friends and followers from
Galilee and the whole country had gathered in Jerusalem for the feast.
Some even advised them to wait until the feast was over. Meanwhile,
Judas Iscariot came from the Lord's own disciples and offered to deliver
him into their hands without reproach. Iscariot, the wicked man, said to
the priests, ‘What will you give me? I will betray him to you.’ The
priests offered him a sin and dishonour money of thirty pieces of silver,
which is as much as about fifteen thalers. For the sin money of thirty
pieces of silver Judas sold himself for the terrible deed of betraying
his Lord and Master, and will profit badly from it. But has it not been
said before? Whoever the evil spirit wants to tempt to a terrible deed,
he first makes vindictive or jealous or greedy for money.
After this, the treacherous and depraved one returned to Jesus and his
other disciples as if nothing had happened. He now watched their every
move and word.
On the day when the paschal lamb was to be eaten, Jesus said to the
disciples Peter and John: ‘Go into the city and prepare the paschal lamb.
You will meet a man carrying a jug of water. Follow him, and when he
goes in, the master of the house will show you a large, well-equipped
room. There it will be prepared for us.’ The disciples found it all to
be so and did as the Lord had told them. That evening he came with the
rest of the disciples, sat down and said, ‘I have longed to eat the
paschal lamb with you before I die.’ If only someone had not been there!
During the meal, Jesus was deeply moved in his soul. ‘Truly,’ he said,
’I tell you, one of you will betray me.’ He knew his betrayer well, but
he did not want to name him yet. He wanted to spare him and give him the
opportunity to abandon his appalling plan and mend his ways.
But whoever has gone so far in evil, whoever has allowed himself to be
so entangled by Satan, O God, how difficult it is for such a wretch to
mend his ways!
The good disciples looked at each other in horror, wondering if such a
thing was possible and who he meant. One after the other, conscious of
his innocence, asked him: ‘Lord, is it I?’ Everyone wanted to hear the
comforting word from Jesus that he could never believe him guilty of
such a crime. Only Judas did not yet allow the evil, betrayed conscience
to come up. Peter beckoned to John, who had the nearest seat to Jesus,
to ask him who it was. Then Jesus dipped a morsel and said, ‘This is the
one to whom I am giving it.’ He gave it to his betrayer. Then at last
the hardened sinner also said in his evil consciousness, ‘Lord, is it
I?’ Jesus said: ‘It is you!’
There was nothing more to spare him. His heart was caught up in
wickedness and hardening. Preserve me, my God, that I may never depart
from your ways, never leave your guiding Father's hand!
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