The corruption and materialism of Judas

Rev L Simon Raomai *

As we join the world, especially the Christian community in observing Good Friday, I want to draw the attention of the esteemed readers to reflect and introspect as we dwell on the topic of corruption and materialism of Judas one of the close disciples who hailed from Iscariot a man of Kerioth.

Judas, one of the characters, perhaps the main actor around the cross of Jesus Christ. There have been many theories and guesses about Judas Iscariot-he was a Nationalist, a disillusioned Zealot, and so on but there is absolutely no subtlety in the New Testament treatment of Judas Iscariot.

Only one motive consistently explains his betrayal of Jesus. MONEY. As the Bible says for the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1Tim.6:10). He had the bag and took money out of it (John 12:6); he led the attack on Mary when she anointed Jesus’ feet with the expensive perfume (John 12:4); he was given a bribe of thirty pieces of silver to betray Jesus (Matt.26 :15); and when his conscience bothered him, he thought mainly about returning the money (Matt.27:3,4).

All these add up to a consistent picture of materialistic motivation. He was a close friend of Jesus to whom money mattered too much. As the materialist of the New Testament, Judas is a lesson to us all, for it was the materialism that crucified Jesus. The cross shows is what materialism does. Judas is called ‘one of the Twelve’.

It may interest you to know that the phrase is used of only one other person only one other person only one other time. It was used of Thomas once in (John 20:24). None of the rest is spoken as ‘one of the Twelve’. Of course, the Twelve are spoken many times, but ten times Judas comes into the narrative of the gospels as ‘one of the Twelve’. Look at it mathematically.

The Twelve were the inner circle. One of the Twelve ‘means that eight and a half percent of the inner circle betrayed Jesus, was guilty of this materialism. Could we not look at this as a likely proportion of the disciples affected seriously by materialistic consideration? One in Twelve.

The proportion would be greater in the fringe in our Church, Community and in the Governmental offices where bribery and corruption are rampant. Materialism, anxiety for lack of money or things; the effort to get more money or things; the compulsion to hoard; meanness; carelessness to compulsion to spend. It is an ugly picture.

In our friendship with Jesus, do we ever betray Jesus Christ for materialistic consideration ? Corruption and materialism of Judas are secretive. It is known only to Jesus but not known to others even among the disciples, his close friends. They did not know about pilfering the petty cash. They didn’t know that he had been to the authorities.

Among then, yet not known to them, he was able to masquerade as one of them. Their friends were his friends, while all the time personal gain controlled him. Judas completely deceived the eleven by his friendliness. He pretended to be a disciple when he was a devil. Judas was enslaved by materialism as many people are today.

As materialism advances, as materialism becomes more important than other consideration-we imagine that we will work or we will cheat until we have made enough money or until we have built up some security.

Then, we imagine, things will be different. It doesn’t happen. What is the most addictive thing in life ? Is it alcohol ? Is it drugs ? O don’t believe so. The most addictive thing in life is money. It enslaves And we don’t see it. It works like a drug. We get hooked, and there is never a time when we don’t want more. Materialism also twists or wraps values. Jesus gives us the right values.

Thirty pieces of silver-unfortunately, we don’t quite know what those 30 pieces were valued at. There are two possibilities. If they were shekels, they would be the equivalent of about 120 days’ wages. If they were denarii, they would be the equivalent of 30 days’ wages for a soldier or a working man. So there are two ends-at the most 120 days’ wages, at the least 30.

Whatever it was, Jesus was worth less to Judas than those 30 pieces of silver. He was ready to sacrifice the innocent, even his friend, to get what he wanted. What about us ? What about our values ? Where do people and money fit in ? We may not be ready to betray our best friend for 30 pieces of silver, but whom else and what else might we be willing to sacrifice if the price were right ?

The warping of our values happens so imperceptibly that we do not realize how like Judas we have become. Because warping of values takes place slowly. It is always difficult to overcome from the addiction of materialism. It is also difficult and risky to get out of a bribe, for there are two parties involved. The confession of one is a threat to the other.

That is why the Bible says, ‘whoever shuns evil becomes a prey’ (Isaiah 59:15). We see in the cross of Calvary, then, what materialism did in one out of 12 of Jesus’ friends. The man who could come and kiss Jesus and be expected to do was the one who handed him over. What about us ? What about the Christian Church and society represented by us ?

How materialistic is even our Christian community, even the Church today ? I suppose that the Church is as materialistic as the sum of materialism in its members. And we are materialistic, do we hinder the purpose of God in his Church ? I’m sure that we do.

So we need to ask ourselves that of our friend Judas, ‘Lord, is it I ?’ Jesus was wounded in the house of his materialistic friends, but Jesus suffered and died for Judas his friend, for all the eight and a half per cent in the inner circle of his disciples, his friends, and the greater number of fringe folk who see themselves in him.

And to know forgiveness, we need to add one thing that Judas did not. He confessed, he restored, but he never came to believe and accept forgiveness and the reconciliation that forgiveness brings.

Let us pray that we may accept during this Holy Week of the Lord Jesus, who died on Good Friday for the whole world!