May 16 Fri
Does sin make us all spies?
Judas betrayed Jesus. We all do.
Judas, a close follower of Jesus and part of His inner circle, ultimately turned against Him. His decision to betray Jesus was hidden, secretive, and deceptive, reflecting a dark desire to turn his back on both Jesus and the apostles.
The sin of Judas was serious, but did Jesus need Judas to betray Him to save the world? No, Jesus is God and could have chosen any way to save humanity. The Jewish hierarchy was already plotting Jesus' death, and Judas merely facilitated their plans. At this point, Judas became a spy, waiting for the right moment to hand Jesus over.
Judas was close to Jesus but ultimately turned his back on Him. Those committed to living the Faith—through daily prayer, attending Mass, and following the Church's teachings—must recognize the temptation to become like Judas. Understanding his character can help us avoid such choices.
Judas possessed a heroic and holy quality that prompted Jesus to call him. This potential resides in everyone. He witnessed Jesus' miracles and profound sermons, surely feeling awe for a Man who captivated minds and transformed lives.
After Mary anointed Jesus' feet with expensive perfume, Judas criticized her, questioning why the oil wasn't sold to benefit the poor. The Gospel notes that Judas didn't care for the poor; he was a thief who stole from the money bag.
The desire for monetary stability and the influence of Jesus’ ministry outweighed showing reckless love and honor to Christ. Judas, familiar with money, had an unhealthy attachment, as evidenced by his betrayal for 30 pieces of silver.
Jesus predicted Peter's denial and foresaw that one of His disciples, who shared the first Eucharist with Him, would betray Him to His enemies.
How often do we partake of Holy Communion and then quickly deny Christ through anger, gossip, lust, and pride? We can also apply the words of Jesus to Judas to our own hearts. He told Judas and the Twelve that temptation was coming. And yet, they still chose it.
Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss, mocking their relationship and signaling to the Jewish leaders who to arrest.
Proximity to Jesus doesn't guarantee holiness. Spending time with Him doesn't free us from mocking Him through our actions. We must continue fighting. While we may not formally deny Him, do we reject Him in our words and actions toward others?
Finally, the end of Judas’ life is detailed for us:
Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned, deeply regretted what he had done. He returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned in betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? Look to it yourself.” Flinging the money into the temple, he departed and went off and hanged himself.
Judas spied against Christ, rejecting Him after receiving the Eucharist and betraying Him with a kiss. His conscience tormented him afterward, revealing his regret and desire for forgiveness, which he ultimately could not accept. This distinction set Judas apart from Peter, as both disciples rejected Jesus and failed to love Him in His final hours.
One of them believed in the possibility of forgiveness through the love of Jesus, despite his threefold denial. While we fight against sin, we may still occasionally deny Jesus.
We have the opportunity for forgiveness if we transform our regret into genuine repentance and a good confession.
Some excerpts from Thomas Griffin