When I posted on the topic of Judas’ kiss a week or so ago, one of the comments made by James brought something to mind. Something the Chuck Swindol spoke about in a sermon I heard last year. He was talking about what Judas' surname (?), Iscariot, meant. He wouldn’t say 100%, but he said that some scholars believe the word to be a variant of the word sicarius which can mean ‘assassin’(*). They posit that this indicated that Judas was part of a radical Jewish sect (the Sicarii) that believed in overthrowing the Romans by military might, even terrorist acts. So when James suggested that he might have betrayed Jesus to force His hand, to force Him to begin His overthrow of the Romans (as many, including the disciples, mistakenly thought He would), I thought of this.
This might even shed some light on why Judas killed himself – because he lost hope when he saw Jesus die and had his mistaken belief in Him shattered. Of course, that doesn’t explain why he took money from the Pharisees, but we do see hints of his greed in John 12:6. I’m sure this idea is just that – an idea, and I’m not sure how it would stand up to serious scrutiny, but it’s interesting. Does this make it possible to view Judas’ actions with a little more charity? To view him as something other than an evil betrayer? I don’t know. But it sure is interesting...
* http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/307411/Judas-Iscariot
2 comments:
One of the things I have always wondered, how aware was Christ of Judas' betrayal beforehand? I mean, three years before, not just the week or so before. We know, according to scripture that Christ limited His knowledge of certain things in order to take part in humanity. "The Last Temptation of Christ" - which was vehemently objected to (mostly by fundamentalists who never saw it) - brings to public fore an idea long present that Jesus and Judas were in cohorts. I don't agree with the idea that Judas knew Christ was to be a dying Messiah, but I do think Jesus knew and that Judas knew that Jesus knew. Hence the kiss.
The kiss is something very close and personal, and the response that Jesus gives in Luke 22:48, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" almost indicates, in Jewish terms, that it wasn't actually given, but intended. Mark 14:44 and Matthew 26:48 are more from Judas' point of view declaring the kiss a signal - which would hint that, if not given, at least intended. But that Matthew was more "there" than Luke, (though probably heard it from Mark, who had heard it from Peter who was there, and Luke also probably getting it from the same source) all at least confirm the kiss was intended. It does not give the reasons for what Judas did.
I am certain as well, that since this is in scripture, that it is God breathed and useful for teaching (though Paul was talking of the Old Testament) and that God probably does not want us to know Judas' reasons. Two reasons for not knowing the reasons:
1) we might, were we to know, assume those reasons very literally, and therefore not be so vigilant as to seeking out other reasons, i.e. motives behind our own frequent betrayals.
2) it doesn't actually matter. That Judas betrayed Christ is known. But so did Peter. So do we all. The reasons differ, they change each time we do it, however slight a variation those changes may be of the base case: pride.
base case... hahah, i meant the base cause
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