The path of Judas

"I do not speak of all of you ; I know those whom I have chosen. But it is that the scripture might be fulfilled : He who eats my bread has lifted his heel against me. I tell you now, before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I am." John 13. 18, 19

The Lord warns his disciples that Judas will betray him. Yet Judas was not predestined to betray his Master. He loved money ; it is he who was in charge of the common purse and he was a thief (John 12. 6): He could repel the attacks of Satan by putting into practice the teachings of Jesus.

- Money is part of the material necessities of life for each of us. Judas feels perhaps responsible vis-à-vis Jesus use the funds necessary for the maintenance of his Master and his fellow students. Now what did the Lord teach this ? "Do not worry, saying : What shall we eat ? Your Heavenly Father knows that you need all this" (Matthew 6:31).

- But, easily, this concern to have the resources necessary to the daily life can be transformed in desire to amass reserves to be protected from all risk. The Lord has declared : "Do not gather up treasures on earth" (Matthew 6:19).

- Then, the possession of these reserves leads to the desire to have more and more of them, and that is the love of money that becomes established, becomes avarice, or greed and leads to be less and less Scrupulous on how to increase its capital. One can thus claim to follow Jesus, while continuing his personal enrichment. Now the Lord has warned his disciples : "You can not serve God and riches" (Matthew 6:24).

"He imagines that his plan of treason is safe." The Lord has not yet been stopped by his opponents.

Finally, this double game leads to hypocrisy : Judas has already decided to betray Jesus, yet he sits at the table with the Lord and even lets himself wash his feet by him. Hypocrisy blinds his conscience and opens his heart to Satan who at that moment enters into it.

How do we consider money ? Is he our servant or our master ? Do we show our trust in God and our love for others by giving liberally ?

Source (To pleasing the Lord)