Posted on 04/03/2026 7:55:31 AM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
The Scriptures are quite clear about the nature of Judas betrayal: he was a thief and he did it for money.
Then one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. (Joh 12:4-6 NKJ)
It’s fairly banal and prosaic. People do bad stuff for money all the time. The most common motive for betrayal of one’s country is – money…If values cost us money, they quickly become too expensive for our taste. Righteousness is a luxury for most – one they can ill afford.
I also think that it goes far to explain Judas…
No one usually starts out with full-blown betrayal – we have to work our way up to it. Every act of pilfering from the common fund was an act of betrayal, but easily justified. “It’s not much…I deserve it…I’ll put it back…”
A hymn says, “Judas loved money with his mind (nous).” This declares a relationship that goes beyond the mere yielding to temptation. Judas became obsessed with money. Mammon was his God.
It is very striking throughout the gospels how often the question of money comes up. Christ offers very little comfort on the topic. He generally says one of two things: share, or give it away.
He warns that we cannot serve God and mammon (money). We see the example of the Rich Young Ruler for whom money becomes a stumbling block – he cannot follow Jesus if in doing so he must give away his money.
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Also possible he did it because Satan told him to do it or that he wanted to push the whole situation into crisis to prove whether Jesus was the Messiah with an army of angels.
Anyway he threw money back to the religious leaders as a form of repentance and then “unlived” himself.
Bondi..."The stock market is at record levels."
I’m okay with living a simple life and without a whole lot of money but if/when my ship comes in I’m gonna jump for joy. MAGA!
This implies that he believed that Mary would have sold her extremely valuable oil and given Judas the money to distribute to the poor, rather than giving it to the poor herself, if she wanted to use her asset to give alms.
This implies some sort of structured community in which it was expected that participants would contribute to the general fund. I wonder how this involved the women - Joanna, Susanna, Mary Magdalene (who is not Mary of Bethany), and "many others" - who supported Jesus out of their own resources.
Last Good Friday I posted an article on whether or not Judas is in hell: https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/4225951/posts
It got 100 comments.
Peter and Judas both did bad things. Both realized their errors.
But Peter didn’t consider himself beyond redemption. He wept bitterly.
Judas despaired and hanged himself.
I remember that distinction often. It’s worth remembering today.
Dóminus vobíscum.
Another possibility is he was angry with Jesus for not being the Zealot style military messiah many expected Him to be, especially the Zealots. Judas possibly was of the most radical of Zealots called the "dagger men" ("Iscariot", or "sicarii" possibly being a Greek form of "sicarius", the "dagger men" faction of the Zealots). But that's just a possibility.
He generally says one of two things: share, or give it away.
What does that look like?
he cannot follow Jesus if in doing so he must give away his money.
Imagine if Judas or some other person refused to turn in Jesus, there would not have been a crucifixion or resurrection. There would be no Christian faith. I believe Judas did because he had to. I am not sure if God orchestrated it to be that way or if he foresaw Judas’s actions. The actions of so many had to line up perfectly to lead to the crucifixion that I am sure it was all by design.
I see, and suspect that this is yet another attempt to malign Israel.
God knows the end from the beginning.
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