Judas Iscariot the Apostle - Montage
A glimpse at
Judas' critical hour.
Please do comment, and feel free to express yourself.
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Oscar Wilde once described a cynic as one who knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing. Herein lies the reason perhaps for Judas' eventual corruption and downfall. He failed to 'see' with his eyes, the greatness which lay before him. He was more concerned about what authorities thought and the movement countering the
Romans, rather than Who it was who called him and loved him unto the end. At some
point or another, we have all betrayed the
Lord.. all have 'lost faith' and gone astray. We're probably still betraying him now.
Jesus prayed for
Peter, so that after his fall he would rise, and be the help his brother apostles would need in the hard times ahead. Jesus is counting on US as well to not despair, but to rise up in faith and holiness before the
Father, so as to be witnesses to others of his precious and liberating love.
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"Judas?
The Apostle who betrayed his
Divine Master. The name Judas (Ioudas) is the
Greek form of Judah (
Hebrew "praised"), a proper name frequently found both in the Old and the
New Testament. Even among the
Twelve there were two that bore the name, and for this reason it is usually associated with the surname
Iscariot [Hebrew "a man of
Kerioth" or Carioth, which is a city of Judah (cf.
Joshua 15:25)]. There can be no doubt that this is the right interpretation of the name, though the true origin is obscured in the Greek spelling, and, as might be expected, other derivations have been suggested (e.g. from Issachar).
Very little is told us in the
Sacred Text concerning the history of
Judas Iscariot beyond the bare facts of his call to the Apostolate, his treachery, and his death. His birthplace, as we have seen, is indicated in his name Iscariot, and it may be remarked that his origin separates him from the other
Apostles, who were all Galileans. For Kerioth is a city of Judah. It has been suggested that this fact may have had some influence on his career by causing want of sympathy with his brethren in the Apostolate.
We are told nothing concerning the circumstances of his call or his share in the ministry and miracles of the Apostles. And it is significant that he is never mentioned without some reference to his great betrayal. Thus, in the list of the Apostles given in the
Synoptic Gospels, we read: "and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him". (
Matthew 10:4. Cf.
Mark 3:19;
Luke 6:16). So again in
St. John's Gospel the name first occurs in connection with the foretelling of the betrayal: "Jesus answered them: Have not I chosen you twelve; and one of you is a devil? Now he meant Judas Iscariot, the son of
Simon: for this same was about to betray him whereas he was one of the twelve" (
John 6:71-2).
In a very true sense, all sin is a mystery. And the difficulty is greater with the greatness of the guilt, with the smallness of the motive for doing wrong, and with the measure of the knowledge and graces vouchsafed to the offender. In every way the treachery of Judas would seem to be the most mysterious and unintelligible of sins. For how could one chosen as a disciple, and enjoying the grace of the Apostolate and the privilege of intimate friendship with the Divine Master, be tempted to such gross ingratitude for such a paltry price? And the difficulty is greater when it is remembered that the Master thus basely betrayed was not hard and stern, but a Lord of loving kindness and compassion. Looked at in any light the crime is so incredible, both in itself and in all its circumstances, that it is no wonder that many attempts have been made to give some more intelligible explanation of its origin and motives, and, from the wild dreams of ancient heretics to the bold speculations of modern critics, the problem presented by Judas and his treachery has been the subject of strange and startling theories. As a traitor naturally excites a peculiarly violent hatred, especially among those devoted to the cause or person betrayed, it was only natural that Christians should regard Judas with loathing, and, if it were possible, paint him blacker than he was by allowing him no good qualities at all. This would be an extreme view which, in some respects, lessens the difficulty. For if it be supposed that he never really believed, if he was a false disciple from the first, or, as the Apocryphal
Arabic Gospel of the Infancy has it, was possessed by
Satan even in his childhood, he would not have felt the holy influence of Christ or enjoyed the light and spiritual gifts of the Apostolate." ("Judas Iscariot" from newadvent(dot)com with some alterations)