There is no doubt that the most hated individual in the entire Christian World is Judas Iscariot. So hated is he that nobody, Christian or non-Christian, wants to relate even remotely to him by answering his name which is considered an anathema. He certainly competes with Pilate in earning our aversion, but even Pilate does not provoke as much disgust as Judas does. The greatest abuse that can be inflicted on anybody is to call him a Judas. The abused could justifiably prove provocation for whatever violence he unleashes on the abuser.

Jesus plainly told Judas to his face that he would betray him, and even placed a curse on him: “Indeed, the Son of man goes, just as it has been written about him. But woe to that man by whom the Son of man will be betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had not been born” (Matthew 26:24).  But then, he was born to fulfil a purpose, as foretold by the scriptures, and he played his unenviable part in the divine arrangement to save mankind. It was certainly a dreadful and abominable role, but the story of the salvation of humanity would be patently incomplete without a mention of his dastardly role. But was he guiltier than those who handled the hammer and struck the nail? If Judas Iscariot were taken to a modern court, he would definitely hire a lawyer, if he needed one, to plead his case.

Even the devil is entitled to an advocate, isn’t he? There is no doubt that, Judas Iscariot has a serious case to answer, even though so far, nobody has attempted to give him any hearing, fair or unfair. What does Judas have in mitigation? Or, is he absolutely guilty as charged?

It would be quite preposterous to say that he assisted in the crucifixion of Christ to save mankind. That would be complete balderdash. We might as well thank Pilate and the others for the bloody roles they played. Since it was in God’s plan to sacrifice His only Son for humanity, He would have ensured that Jesus was handed over to his assailants with or without Judas Iscariot. That was, in fact, the point of the curse Jesus placed on him. Why should it be he, and no other person? It was an unpardonable act of treachery to be the one to give up his own Master with whom he had shared a lot over many years.

But what was his exact motivation? Did he betray Jesus out of hatred for him? The categorical answer is ‘no’. It may sound fallacious; but Judas did not love Jesus any less than Peter and the other apostles. He definitely did not intend that Jesus should be killed. So, why did he go ahead to betray his Master?

The greatest problem of Judas was his uncontrollable pecuniary greed. Yes, Judas was avaricious enough to sell anybody, even his own mother, just for the love of money.  He could have sold any of the disciples if he had the opportunity to do so. Judas was the official Treasurer of the group, and had been engaging in stealing from the purse without the knowledge of the others, except Jesus who is all-seeing, and who merely ignored him, knowing who he was.

The fact is, Judas decided to betray Jesus purely as a business deal. Thirty pieces of silver must have been a lot of money, considering the personality that was meant to be betrayed.  He believed that the Chief Priests who demanded the amount would end up wasting their money. Judas did not believe that any human power could overcome the extraordinary power of Jesus who had performed so many miracles, including raising the dead. He was so sure that Jesus would simply vanish from their midst and they would be awe-stricken and bewildered. Meanwhile, Judas would simply have pocketed his cool cash without making any refund. Does the seller of a goat refund money to the buyer because the goat has escaped from the custody of the buyer?  But it turned out not to be business as usual for Judas.  His plan misfired. He must have been shocked and scandalized to see Jesus submitting meekly to his assailants, as if he was not the same omnipotent Christ that all the disciples had always known. Judas was waiting to hear that Jesus had vamoosed from the scene to enable him spend his loot in peace and quiet.

After all, the same Jesus, who put back the slashed ear of one of the assailants, still had the residual divine power to disappear; but he was there to carry out, not his own wish, but the Will of God the Father. Thus, to the consternation of Judas, Jesus cooperated fully with his executioners. That was not what Judas had expected to see; he felt ‘betrayed’, felt badly let down by Jesus. The thirty pieces of silver, which was meant to be a harmless return from a good business deal, had turned into blood money, and he would no longer have any part of it.

Curiously, he attempted to make reparation by returning the money to the Chief Priests who did not want it back, since the deal had been done. He dropped the money all the same, and went to commit suicide. That was the most puzzling part of it all; the failure of Judas to seek forgiveness and benefit from the eternal mercy of God. 

All the disciples, including Peter, denied and betrayed Jesus when he needed them most. But all of them, except Judas, eventually repented and asked for forgiveness. Why did Judas fail to do the same? Or, was it the potent curse of Jesus that prevailed over him? He was totally disconsolate because he had betrayed a friend he loved so much, and could no longer live with that knowledge. This confirms that Judas did not hate Jesus; he loved him, but he loved his pocket more.

Today, we find it so easy to condemn Judas, forgetting the bitter truth that there is a bit of Judas, in varying degrees, in each and every one of us. Many of us betray Jesus on a daily basis, through our sins. If Judas were placed before us to stone to death, who, in good conscience, would cast the first stone? Judas truly deserved the capital price he paid for his excessive greed and avarice; but while pointing the accusing finger at him, we should be mindful of the other fingers pointing at ourselves.