Friends
Have you ever wondered about the back story on Judas Iscariot? Did he start out bad, or did circumstances and temptation lead him down the wrong path?
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“Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve; he went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers of the temple police about how he might betray him to them.”
Luke 22:3-4 – NRSV
Thinking back on the Bible stories of my childhood, I readily labeled Judas as a bad man. After all, he did bad things, so he must be a bad man. As an adult, I have learned that things are not always so black and white, and that makes me wonder if there is more to Judas’ story than most of us have ever considered.
In the Easter story, Judas is presented as the worst of all sinners, and perhaps he was. Still, I can’t help but wonder if there was more to his story, details we are not privy to, pitfalls that lead him to take the actions he did. Certainly, his betrayal of Jesus was despicable, but have you ever wondered how he reached that point?
Jesus began his ministry by calling his soon-to-be disciples to leave their homes and families to follow Him. Those men dropped their tools and fishing nets, and off they went. Without the slightest hesitation, they left everything they knew and loved to follow a man they barely knew. That takes courage. That takes faith.
Judas was one of those twelve men Jesus called. If he was awful to the core, why would he give up his life for someone he barely knew? If he was inherently evil, why would Jesus stop to speak to him in the first place? Why would Jesus invite Judas to follow Him? Did Jesus know then how it would all end? Could he see in the beginning of the story how the final pages would read?
I am no theologian, but I can’t help but think that Judas started out good. Yet, like so many others, somewhere along the way, he changed. Judas’ story makes me think of a happy couple posed for their wedding photos, all smiles, the future rosy and bright. Never in their wildest dreams could they imagine that one day their happy world would fall apart. Instead of love, there would be hate. Instead of caring and commitment, there would be disappointment, disillusionment, and, ultimately, betrayal.
That happy couple never meant for their marriage to dissolve. Yet, as the days and years passed, their poor choices, ineffective communication, selfish tendencies, or willful behaviors poisoned what was once good, right, and true. The wounds started small, little disappointments, hurt feelings, lingering regrets. Instead of apologies and resets, the discord continued, the rip in the seam growing larger until the garment was in tatters with no hope of repair.
Was it that way with Judas? Did he agree to follow Jesus because he really believed he was the Messiah? Did he throw all-in with Him, believing Jesus would rise up and lead Israel out of captivity into restored power an glory? Was Judas determined to be in Jesus’ court because His triumphant reign would elevate Judas to a position of power and wealth? Did he love Jesus for who He was, or for what He might do for him? Was it success or power, or even pride, that motivated Judas?
Perhaps Judas started out with the best of intentions. Like the other disciples, maybe Judas was mesmerized by the mere presence of Jesus. He saw the miracles, witnessed the healings. Maybe he saw the power in Jesus, and he got carried away with his own schemes of grandeur. Perhaps he heard Jesus talk about humility and selflessness, but he thought he could change his mind, that he could convince Jesus of a better way.
Was Judas a zealot, despising Roman occupation of Israel? Was he convinced that they could save the world if Jesus became their earthly King? Perhaps as time went on, Judas became disappointed again and again when Jesus didn’t see things the way he did. Disappointment led to disillusionment, then to anger and betrayal.
I have one more theory in my non-scholarly musings. We have always assumed that Judas sold Jesus out because he was greedy and wanted to get what he could out of the situation before it all went south, but maybe there is another explanation. Perhaps Judas went to the Jewish leaders because he wanted to force Jesus to abandon his humble servant role and rise up to fight instead. Was he thinking that Jesus would not submit to being captured and that would propel him to finally command an army and do what Judas thought he should do all along? Did Judas think that when Jesus was ultimately cornered with no way out, He would finally take the stand Judas had been hoping for?
Of course, we don’t know the answer to any of my questions. Maybe Judas was a good man who went bad, choosing the wrong path and paying a horrible consequence for his actions. Then again, he could have been a greedy, self-serving man from the start, but if that were true, why would Jesus even look in his direction?
There are no answers, but there are lessons to be learned. When it comes to our choices, we need to think long and hard about the path before us. We need to take care in our relationships, not sweeping the hurts and disappointments under the rug, but rather, acknowledging them, and when appropriate, apologizing and making amends. We need to watch how we deal with our expectations to protect ourselves from disillusionment. Most of all, we need to let our anger go and forgive those who have trespassed against us.
Maybe Judas was the shallow, self-centered, greedy thief we all learned about as children. Perhaps there was no good in him after all. Yet, I can’t help but think that regardless of his questionable motivations and criminal actions, we can benefit from his example. Perhaps the good in Judas’ story is to show us what not to do, to offer an example of what happens when pride, greed, anger and betrayal drive our actions.
Our choices matter. Our relationships matter. Let the story of Judas serve as our reminder to choose wisely.
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“47 While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, 48 but Jesus said to him, “Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?”
Luke 22:47-48 – NRSV
PRAYER
O Lord Jesus, forgive us our sins and help us forgive others. Show us how to choose wisely in our actions and our relationships. Help us to let go of pride, anger, disappointment, and resentment, so we can choose a better path forward. May we follow where You lead.
In the Forgiving Name of Jesus, we pray,
Amen
Blessings,
Anita
-APS 4/7/2025
Faith Beyond Sight 