NOW THEY WANT TO CONVINCE US THAT JUDAS WAS NOT A TRAITOR, BUT A PATRIOT.
It is
noticeable nowadays a strange endeavor carried out by certain "biblical
scholars" trying to convey in their works, in a very sneaky way, the idea
that Judas Iscariot was not a traitor, but a patriot. The idea seems as
if it came out of a fairy tale book. According to them Judas betrayed
Jesus in order to force him to manifest himself as the Messiah, and to save
Israel from the Romans. It is to say that Judas was an honorable patriot
and not a repugnant traitor.
Sadly many Christians swallow such a fantastic
"explanation" of the behavior of that traitor, because they do not
read the Bible, and so they accept any fairy tale they hear.
To start with, let us learn what was John's frame of mind
regarding Judas. Saint John who knew Judas, personally and
had much more information than these "scholars" that now want to
justify him, stated without any hesitation that Judas was a thief.
This he said long after these events, after the misunderstandings would
have been cleared up, and passions had settled down. Let's read.
"Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's
son, which
would betray him: Why was not this ointment
sold for three
hundred pence, and given to the poor? This
he said,
not that he cared for the poor; but because he was
a thief,
and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.”
( John 12: 4 - 6 )
If he was a
thief, then he was not a patriot. Something else to notice is that the
supposed patriot did not care for the poor people of his own country. It
is impossible to conceive a real patriot who does not care for the poor people.
This just is not true.
Another clear fact is that he betrayed Jesus for money.
If he were a patriot he wouldn't stain his hands with money nor with a
betrayal. When he hanged himself it was not because he repented of his
betrayal. He hanged himself because he could not resist the demonic tortures he
was subsequently exposed to. When he was forsaken, given up, deprived of
God's shelter, demons didn't have any restriction, and oppressed him.
Peter sinned heavily when he denied Jesus, but his
repentance was genuine, and was received again. If Judas really repented
he would be forgiven. There is no sin big enough for God's
forgiveness, if there is a genuine repentance. Judas did not repent of what he
did against Jesus, he repented of the demonic consequences that his betrayal
had brought to him. He knew Jesus perfectly well, he knew that Jesus forgave
anyone who repents sincerely. But even so he did not want to ask for
forgiveness.
"Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto
the chief priests, and said unto
them: What will ye give me,
and I will deliver him unto you? And
they covenanted with
him for thirty pieces of silver.
And from that time he sought
opportunity
to betray him." (
Mt 26: 14 -16 )
As we can see in
the former passage, his betrayal was premeditated, having as the only
purpose to get the thirty pieces of silver, but the whole money bag. He
had the opportunity to ponder and consider what he was going to do, and even so
he chose to betray. Not only did he betray Jesus, but in the peak of
his impudence he chose to kiss him as a signal. A man who behaves like
this is not a patriot nor does he believe that Jesus could save his nation from
the Romans. If he had believed it, he would not do what he did.
Many years after Judas' betrayal, those who knew him personally
still believed that he was a traitor, a scum, a vile man, a despicable person
and a thief. If Judas had behaved as a patriot these men would not keep
thinking of him that same way so many years later.
John's gospel was written many years after Judas' betrayal.
John, who was better informed about Judas than these questionable
"scholars" who try to justify Judas, says that Judas' betrayal
was the consequence of letting the Devil enter his heart. Those who
really knew about Judas tell us that Judas was not a patriot, but a servant
of Satan. Let us see.
"And supper being ended, the Devil having now put into
the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him…"
( John 13: 2 )
But there is still a better testimony than all these. Jesus Christ, who because of his divinity "knew what was in man", never justified nor lessened the gravity of what was done by Judas. On the contrary, Jesus put a heavy load in the back of the one who betrayed him. In Matt 26: 24 and Mark 14: 21 Jesus condemned his action, and knowing the non-repentant condition of Judas' heart, said that it was better for him if he had never been born.
"The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto
that man by whom the Son of man
is betrayed!, it had been
good for that man if he had not been
born."
( Matt 26: 24 )
If Judas had the slightest justification, or if the Lord knew that he would repent, or that he had repented, the Lord, who was willing to die for the sinner, would have forgiven him, and in addition, would have given a better testimony of him. If the Lord spoke like this of Judas, it is because he did not consider him an honorable man nor a patriot. Remember that the Lord did not need anyone's witness, because he knew man, as John 2: 25 says.
"And needed not that any should testify of man; for he
knew what was in man." ( John 2: 25 )
As we can see, Jesus personally, as well as the apostles, who really knew first hand this episode of the gospel, never justified Judas. But these modern "scholars" make suspicious efforts to justify him. What are they planning? Are they trying to soften Christians with the aim to unite them later with those that admire Judas for his betrayal of Jesus?