Introducing Judas Iscariot, Abandoned Infant, Apostle, Betrayer of Jesus, Dead – Committed Suicide
The following paragraphs are taken from the book The Life of Jesus Christ and Biblical Revelations, Volume II, Originally published in 1914 by Desclée, De Brouwer & Co. of Lille, Paris, and Bruges, in conjunction with The Sentinel Press of New York. Reprinted by Academy Library Guild in 1954, and later by Apostolate of Christian Action, both of Fresno, California. Reprinted in 1979 by TAN Books and Publishers, Inc. Retypeset and published again in 1986 by TAN Books and Publishers, Inc.
“His parents at one time led a wandering life, for his mother was a public dancer and singer. She was of the race of Jephte, or rather that of his wife, and from the land of Tob. She was a poetess. She composed songs and anthems, which she sang with harp accompaniment. She taught young girls to dance, and carried with her from place to place all sorts of feminine finery and new fashions. Her husband, a Jew, was not with her; he lived at Pella. Judas was an illegitimate child whose father was an officer in the army near Damascus. He was born at Ascalon on one of his mother’s professional journeys, but she soon freed herself from the encumbrance by exposing the child. Shortly after his birth, he was abandoned on the water’s edge. But being found by some rich people with no children of their own, they cared for the child and bestowed upon him a liberal education. Later on, however, he turned out to be a bad boy and, through some kind of knavery, fell again to the care of his mother, who assumed the charge for pay. It is in my mind that the husband of his mother, becoming acquainted with the boy’s origin, had cursed him. Judas received some wealth from his illegitimate father. He was possessed of much wit. After the death of his parents, he lived mostly in Iscariot with his Uncle Simeon, the tanner, and helped him in his business. He was not as yet a villain, but loquacious, greedy for wealth and honor, and without stability. He was neither a profligate nor a man without religion, for he adhered strictly to all the prescriptions of the Jewish Law. He comes before me as a man that could be influenced as easily to the best things as to the worst. With all his cleverness, courteousness, and obligingness, there was a shade of darkness, of sadness, in the expression of his countenance, proceeding from his avarice, his ambition, his secret envy of even the virtues of others.
“He was not, however, exactly ugly. There was something bland and affable in his countenance, though at the same time, something abject and repulsive. His father had something good in him, and thence came that possessed by Judas. When as a boy he was returned to his mother, and she on his account was embroiled in a quarrel with her husband, she cursed him. Both she and her husband were jugglers. They practiced all kinds of tricks; they were sometimes in plenty and as often in want.
“The disciples in the beginning were favorably inclined toward Judas on account of his obliging ways, for he was ready even to clean their shoes. As he was an excellent walker, he made at first long journeys in the service of the little Community. I never saw him work a miracle. He was always full of envy and jealousy and, toward the close of Jesus’ career, he had become weary of obedience, of the wandering life of the disciples, and of the – to him – inexplicable mystery that surrounded the Divine Master.”
“Judas Iscariot may have been at that time twenty-five years old. He was of middle height and by no means ugly. His hair was of a deep black, his beard somewhat reddish. In his attire he was perfectly neat and more elegant than the majority of Jews. He was affable in address, obliging, and fond of making himself important. He talked with an air of confidence of the great or of persons renowned for holiness, affecting familiarity with such when he found himself among those that did not know him. But if anyone who knew better convicted him of untruth, he retired confused. He was avaricious of honors, distinctions, and money. He was always in pursuit of good luck, always longing for fame, rank, a high position, wealth, though not seeing clearly how all this was to come to him. The appearance of Jesus in public greatly encouraged him to hope for a realization of his dreams. The disciples were provided for; the wealthy Lazarus took part with Jesus, of whom everyone thought that He was about to establish a kingdom; He was spoken of on all sides as a King, as the Messiah, as the Prophet of Nazareth. His miracles and wisdom were on every tongue. Judas consequently conceived a great desire to be numbered as His disciple and to share His greatness which, he thought, was to be that of this world. For a long time previously he had picked up, wherever he could, information of Jesus and had in turn carried around tidings of Him. He had sought the acquaintance of several of the disciples, and was now nearing the object of his desires. The chief motive that influenced him to follow Jesus was the fact that he had no settled occupation and only a half-education. He had embarked in trade and commerce, but without success, and had squandered the fortune left him by his natural father. Lately he had been executing all kinds of commissions, carrying on all kinds of business and brokerage for other people. In the discharge of such affairs, he showed himself both zealous and intelligent.”
“Judas Iscariot . . . had come with the . . . disciples to Meroz. . . . Bartholomew and Simon spoke with Jesus of Judas. They said that they knew him to be an active, well-informed man, very willing to be of service, and very desirous of a place among the disciples. Jesus sighed as they spoke and appeared troubled. When they asked Him the cause of His sadness, He answered: “It is not yet time to speak, but only to think of it.””
“When Judas learned . . . that Jesus was going into the region of Meroz, where he himself was well-known, he went to seek Bartholomew in Debbaseth. He was already acquainted with him and he invited him to go with him to Meroz and present him to Jesus. Bartholomew expressed his willingness to do so.
Jesus receives Judas Iscariot into the group of His disciples: While in the city of Meroz, preaching, teaching and curing the sick, “. . .the disciples were met by Judas Iscariot, and when Jesus again joined them, Bartholomew and Simon Zelotes presented him to Jesus with the words: “Master, here is Judas of whom we have spoken to Thee.” Jesus looked at him graciously, but with indescribable sorrow. Judas, bowing, said: “Master, I pray Thee allow me to share Thy instructions.” Jesus replied sweetly and in words full of prophetic meaning: “Thou mayst have a place among My disciples, unless thou dost prefer to leave it to another.” These were His words or at least their purport. I felt that Jesus was prophesying of Matthias, who was to fill Judas’s place among The Twelve, and alluding also to His own betrayal.”
“Next morning Jesus left the inn with the disciples and journeyed eastward to Iscariot, distant not quite an hour. . . . In Iscariot no calling was carried on but tanning, and it seemed to me that most of the houses of this placed belonged to old Simeon, the uncle of Judas.
“Judas
was very dear and quite useful to his old uncle in his leather trade. Sometimes he dispatched him with asses to
purchase raw hides, sometimes with prepared leather to the seaport towns, for
he was a clever and cunning broker and commission merchant. Still he was not at this time a villain, and
had he overcome himself in little things, he would not have fallen so low. The Blessed Virgin very often warned him, but
he was extremely vacillating. He was
susceptible of very vehement, though not lasting repentance. His head was always running on the establishment
of an earthly kingdom, and when he found that not likely to be fulfilled, he
began to appropriate the money entrusted to his care. He was therefore greatly vexed that the worth
of Magdalen’s ointment had not passed as alms though his hands. It was at the last Feast of Tabernacles in
Jesus’ lifetime that Judas began to go to the bad. When he betrayed Jesus for money, he never
dreamed of His being put to death. He
thought his Master would soon be released; his only desire was to make a little
money.
“Judas was, here in Iscariot, very obliging and ready to serve; he was perfectly at home. His uncle, the tanner Simeon, a very busy and active man, received Jesus and the disciples at some distance from the place, washed their feet, and offered the customary refreshments. Jesus and the disciples visited his house where were his family, consisting of his wife, his children, and his servants.”
“Jesus afterward, with the disciples and Simeon’s family, took a little repast standing. During it old Simeon begged Him to admit Judas his nephew, whom he praised in many ways, to a participation in His teachings and His Kingdom. Jesus responded in pretty much the same terms as He had used toward Judas himself: “Everyone may have a share therein, provided he is resolved not to relinquish his portion to another.””
“To
some of the disciples, and especially to Thomas, Judas Iscariot was not
particularly pleasing. He did not
hesitate to say plainly to Jesus that he did not like Judas Simonis, because he
was too ready to say yes and no.
Why, he asked, had he admitted that man among His disciples, since He
had been so difficult to please in others.
Jesus answered evasively that from eternity it was decreed by God for
Judas, like all the others, to be of the number of His disciples.
The following paragraphs are taken from the book The Way of Divine Love, by Sister Josefa Menéndez, Reprinted by arrangement with the copyright holder: Sands & Co. (Publishers), Ltd., 79 Larmans Road, Enfield, Middlesex, England 1949. Copyright © 1972 by TAN Books & Publishers, Inc. (Pocketbook Edition).
“After having been comforted by an angel sent by My Father, suddenly I saw Judas coming, one of the Twelve, and with him those who were come to take Me prisoner. They carried staves and stones, chains and ropes to seize and bind Me. I arose, and drawing near, I said to them: ‘Whom seek ye?’ Then Judas, putting his hands upon My shoulders, gave Me a kiss. Ah! Judas, what are you doing? . . . Why do you betray Me with a kiss?
“To how many souls cannot I also say: ‘What are you doing? . . . What does this kiss mean?’
“Beloved
soul, you who come to receive Me, so often assure Me of your affection . . . and
you have hardly left Me than already you have betrayed Me to My enemies! You know very well that in that company you
find so attractive there will be conversations that wound Me, you who
communicated this morning and to-morrow will do so again . . . these are the
occasions in which you lose My costly grace. . . .
“And why do you carry on transactions of doubtful integrity? I say to another. Do you not know these are unlawful gains, unlawful this rise in social position . . . this wealth? . . . In so doing you receive Me as Judas did with a kiss, for in a few moments, a few hours at most, you will give My enemies a sign by which they will recognize Me and so lay hands on Me. Now I speak also to you Christian souls: you betray Me by this dangerous friendship, you cast stones at Me and cause another likewise to betray Me. Why do you do this? You who know Me and so often have gloried in your almsgiving and church-going? . . . These acts which might be highly meritorious are but a cloak of your malice. . . . O soul whom I love . . . why are you enslaved by passion? . . .
“Friend! whereto art thou come? . . . Judas, dost thou betray the Son of Man with a kiss, your Master and your Lord! He who loves you and is ready to forgive again . . . one of My Twelve! . . . who sat at My table and whose feet I have washed? . . .
“How often must I speak thus to the souls I love most dearly?
“I do not ask you to free yourself, for I know it is not always in your power, but what I do ask of you is to keep up the struggle against your passions. . . . What are passing pleasures . . . if not the thirty pieces of silver for which Judas sold Me, and what did he gain? The loss of his soul.
“How many have sold Me and will sell Me for the low price of a passing pleasure? . . . Alas, poor souls, whom seek ye? Is it I? This Jesus whom once you knew and loved . . .
“Listen to My words: ‘Watch and pray, fight your evil inclinations and suffer them not to grow into confirmed habits.’ . . .”
“. . .After he had given Me the traitor’s kiss, Judas left the garden, and realizing the gravity of his crime, gave way to despair. Who can measure My sorrow at the sight of My apostle casting himself into hell! . . .”
Consider: Suicide is covered under the Fifth Commandment, “Thou shalt not kill.” We are commanded by this Commandment to take proper care of our own life and health. Therefore, when the soul returns to Jesus for judgment at the death of the human being’s body, and because we are judged as to how we have obeyed the Ten Commandments while we were here on the earth, it might be a little difficult to explain to Jesus how we came to be before Him at that point. Thankfully, because we are still here on the earth, we can give the idea of suicide a little more thought.
The thing is can you imagine what was going on in Judas’s mind on the night he betrayed Jesus? From the time he was abandoned by his mother on the side of the road – and because we are human beings from the very first time we are put in our mother’s womb by God, Judas understood at that point what his mother was thinking when she decided she did not want the child and abandoned him, and the infant’s fear and sense of self-preservation took over – through his inability to find a profession, to becoming involved with holy, religious people, and being so misguided as to think that it was all right to betray another human being for personal monetary gain, and then realizing that he would not gain the power and prestige that he wanted so badly. And so what happened when Judas found out that Jesus had been arrested and sentenced to death?
Can we even imagine what it was like to have been Judas Iscariot on that horrible night? To be driven by thoughts of what you had done, not being able to comprehend what it is you had done or were doing. Realistically speaking, how could Judas Iscariot have even thought of speaking to Jesus, the human being, and asked for His forgiveness? And after wandering around for a while, Judas committed suicide. To summarize Judas Iscariot’s life: Abandoned Child, Apostle, Betrayer of Jesus, dead by committing suicide.
Please Note: From Adam and Eve forward to the present time, God has created human beings in the same way: It takes one man human being and one woman human being to create a new human being. In the case of Jesus, God’s Son, it took one man human being – God, the Father – and one woman human being – Mother Mary – to create a new human being – Jesus.
Therefore, there are no
illegitimate human beings or bastards or any other appellation which human
beings may give each other. Moreover,
every human being is bound by the Fourth Commandment: Honor thy father and thy mother. And Jesus will help us to honor our fathers
and our mothers, and He will help our fathers and our mothers to help us to
honor them.
Copyright Bernardette Grant, 2012, 2022 All Rights Reserved
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