Matthew 26:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

They could have simply stated that he was one of Christ's followers, considering there were others, yet they specify that he was one of the twelve, implying he was of the first group, among the most chosen and esteemed disciples who accompanied Peter and John. Their sole concern was to convey the truth without omission. Thus, while they may overlook various indications, they dare not hide anything shameful, boldly declaring all aspects, whether in word or action.

However, the Evangelists make no suggestion that Judas aimed to usurp authority over the Master; such a belief would simply ease their sorrow for their treacherous companion. In fact, they consistently portray Judas as a soul consumed by greed and avarice. The God-man declares, “Woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed” (Matthew 26:24). Such a stern condemnation does not pertain to someone with a vision of the Messianic kingdom. From the outset of his betrayal, Judas reveals his disposition, asking, “What will you give me for delivering Him to you?” Significantly, he admits to his need for money, demonstrating that he is prepared to betray his Master in exchange for financial gain. This sentiment is echoed in his final confession: “I have betrayed innocent blood,” as he returns the pieces of silver. Thus, it was the desire for wealth that ultimately led Judas to his own ruin. This craving for money had long been rooted in Judas’ heart, slowly nurtured and cultivated further through his actions. Gradually, it extinguished the brightness of his thoughts regarding his heavenly Master and His works. Throughout his ministry, the Savior endeavored to awaken Judas’ conscience to resist temptation, chastising his disbelief with unequivocal declarations (John 6:64). Yet, this insatiable desire grew and eventually overshadowed Judas’ pure thoughts of love, reverence, and gratitude. It compelled him to engage in secret theft (John 12:6) and ultimately spurred him toward betrayal. Now, he is negotiating with villains over the price for which he is willing to hand over the great Teacher, Friend, and Messenger of God. It is sobering to contemplate what an obsession with wealth can lead to. The Apostle’s words ring true: those who strive to be rich fall prey to various foolish and harmful desires that lead people toward destruction and perdition (1 Timothy 6:9). Judas’ ultimate remorse illustrates that, in his greed for those pieces of silver, he overlooked the ramifications of his actions or dismissed them altogether, assuming that his Master would find a way to escape the grip of the Sanhedrin, as He had done previously. Intense desire can cloak the soul in darkness. St. Chrysostom notes that, similar to a drunkard who, while intoxicated, is unaware of the harm until he faces the consequences, so too does sin darken the mind, enveloping it in a dense cloud until the moment of conscience awakens.

He claimed to be a former disciple and close companion of Jesus, familiar with all His hidden locations, and offered to help them realize their desire to apprehend Him secretly, ready to utilize all his resources for this objective if the high Sanhedrin would acknowledge his valuable service. This unfortunate soul was Judas Iscariot, who had pretended at the supper in Bethany to care for the world and the needy. His name set him apart from another disciple, Judas, son of James or Levi. Iscariot hailed from the town of Carioth, being the only Judean among the Galileans. He approached the Lord with worldly ambitions and carnal expectations of the Messiah's glorious kingdom. When Judas discerned that the Master was not pursuing an earthly reign and instead spoke of suffering and the cross, he grew weary of following Him and sought to part ways. Yet, even then, he was overtaken by greed: why not exploit his proximity to Jesus to gain some financial reward? The notion of betrayal began to resonate within him. He sought to negotiate with the Lord’s adversaries, and as Innocent of Kherson noted, as the treasurer of the small community of Jesus, Iscariot skillfully maneuvered his way out to conduct shady dealings without raising suspicions. All that he had witnessed over three and a half years faded from his memory; he forgot the divine love of the Master, who had shown him great mercy and allowed him to share in preaching the kingdom of God and performing miracles alongside the others.

Now, at the closed gates of the temple in Jerusalem, he approached the guards to inform the chief priests of his urgent matter. "Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests," revealing his intentions. When? "When an unworthy woman, a sinner, would render such an honor, the disciple then proceeds to betray Him!” exclaims St. Chrysostom. “Judas was unmoved by the words of the Lord, ‘prepare Me for burial,’ showing no fear upon hearing the message of the Gospel spreading everywhere—words charged with incomprehensible power. However, when scandalous women honored Jesus, he undertook this diabolical task. For this reason it is stated: then, indicating that one should dare not blame the Master for any weakness when witnessing a disciple's treachery. The Master had the power to draw even sinful women to Himself. One might wonder why He could not likewise attract a disciple? He had the ability to draw the disciple but chose not to force him into righteousness or tug him towards Himself against his will. Then... he departed. The chief priests did not summon him, nor did he feel compelled; he acted entirely on his own, without any advisor to suggest such wickedness. The phrase: one of the twelve is a grave condemnation of this reality. This was the assembly that surrounded the King, the circle near the Master, from which Judas withdrew.

The Holy Church, through the poignant hymns of Great Wednesday, draws a powerful contrast between the Lord's anointing by the woman and Judas’s betrayal, both occurring on the same day. “The sinner comes to You, pouring ointment and tears at Your feet, O Loving One, and by Your command, she is rescued from the foulness of sin; yet the ungrateful disciple, soaking in Your grace, casts this away and is enveloped in degradation, betraying You for greed, O Christ, reflecting Your goodness. When the sinful woman offered precious myrrh, the disciple collaborated with the wicked ones, for she rejoiced in pouring out her costly perfume; but this disciple sought to sell the Priceless One.”

Surely the Lord recognized in him the potential of an apostle; otherwise, He would not have permitted him such close fellowship, nor treated him as He did with the other disciples. However, this acknowledgment does not rule out the possibility that Judas possessed both good and bad traits, and the Lord saw those seeds of evil alongside the beginnings of goodness. The internal conflict between these opposing forces had not yet reached resolution, and there was hope that righteousness would triumph over wickedness. What then was the predominating vice in Judas from which his treachery arose? In seeking historical context for this inquiry, it is reasonable to consider his love for money; the Evangelist John notes that Judas managed the money bag containing the contributions of the Lord's disciples, yet he was unfaithful and pilfered from it for his own gain. This aligns with the consensus of the first three Evangelists who report that Judas conspired to betray his Master to the Sanhedrin for a specific sum of money. From this perspective, one might argue that his greed had escalated to a point where he was willing to commit an atrocious act to fulfill it. Yet this reasoning is not without issues. If greed dominated Judas to such an extent, it seems implausible that the Lord would have accepted him among His disciples. Considering His profound understanding of every heart and His ability to utilize each individual for their greatest potential, how could He entrust a covetous man with the treasury? And if Judas betrayed his Master solely out of avarice, it is perplexing why he settled for a mere thirty pieces of silver. One might surmise that the Sanhedrin, eager to apprehend Jesus before Passover, would not have been miserly if Judas had asked for more. Perhaps they were unwilling to pay a higher price because they had other strategies in mind for capturing the Lord or assumed that He would not resist arrest. Regardless, the small amount of money could not have been the sole motivation for his betrayal. Furthermore, it must be considered that a man who had shared deeply in the ministry of his Master, and who at least regarded Him as the Messiah for some time, must have experienced a shift in his relationship to Jesus compared to the other disciples. Therefore, it may appear that greed was not the primary reason for Judas's betrayal. Did Judas truly anticipate the outcome of his actions? His tragic end and the remorse he displayed upon witnessing Jesus's condemnation suggest he may not have foreseen it. It is believed that Judas sought to expedite events: by placing Jesus in a perilous situation, he hoped to compel Him to reveal Himself as Messiah-King or to use divine power to overcome all opposition. Consequently, when events unfolded differently, and seeing the one he once revered condemned, Judas fell into despair. Such conduct is undeniably reprehensible; immoral means can never sanctify an end. Should the works of God be treated in this manner? What are we to make of this assumption? If Judas held such a misguided perspective, it seems improbable that the Lord would have allowed him to be so consumed by this delusion. Moreover, if such was the case, it is difficult to reconcile that when the Lord discerned Judas's intent to leave the supper, He would have uttered words that seemed to affirm his decision, thus endorsing his nefarious plan. Like the other apostles, it seems likely that Judas approached the Lord with worldly aspirations and carnal hopes. However, upon encountering disillusionment, he grew indifferent to the mission he once passionately embraced. A year prior to Jesus's crucifixion, following a significant dialogue in the synagogue at Capernaum, where many disciples turned away, the Lord indicated that one among them was a devil, referring to Judas. Certainly, Peter also faced admonishment: “Get behind me, Satan; you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Matthew 16:23). Yet, Peter's heart was open to repentance. In contrast, Judas’s heart was hardened. Disconnected from the society of Jesus and tethered only by earthly desires, Judas had long ceased to be a true disciple, waiting merely for the opportunity to renounce Him. The Lord endured his presence, partly to influence his soul and partly because He foresaw the prophetic outcome connected to Judas's role (Jesus knew from the beginning who would betray Him, John 6:64). It is essential to reflect on the events during the culmination of the Lord's ministry. From the moment Lazarus's resurrection drew the people's attention, the Sanhedrin's resolve to eliminate Jesus solidified. They sought to determine how this might be executed as the circumstances dictated. Uncertainty loomed regarding Jesus's intentions to enter Jerusalem. Despite their expectations, Jesus boldly appeared in Jerusalem, facing the threats of His enemies, entering with an unprecedented sense of majesty. Meanwhile, the Pharisees lamented their inability to control the situation: “Look,” they said among themselves, “behold, the world has gone after Him” (John 12:19). They began to devise schemes to cunningly seize and deliver Him to death (Matthew 26:4). Whether it was through a covert traitor, of whom there were many, or a premeditated plot to capture Him under false pretenses remains unclear. However, it was concluded that action would not occur during the feast but rather before or after it, with the latter option gaining favor. During this decisive moment, Judas Iscariot, one of the Lord's disciples, offered his services to the Sanhedrin, which led to an agreement on a price for his betrayal of his Teacher.

Consequently, he resolved to betray his Master to His adversaries, hoping to secure some monetary reward and mitigate his shattered hopes. Greed had become ingrained in his character, and he had long indulged this vice by pilfering from the communal treasury entrusted to him by the apostles. His passion for wealth had grown so intense that he was unable to conceal it from the disciples, who recognized him as a thief. During a supper at Simon’s house, when the Savior rebuked him for his insidious remarks regarding Mary’s generous act, this deepened his bitterness, allowing Satan to take hold of him, and he then plotted to betray Jesus. Under the cover of darkness, he stealthily entered Jerusalem and approached the Sanhedrin. The high-ranking conspirators eagerly awaited him, and when Judas requested a considerable yet trivial favor—thirty pieces of silver—the agreement was swiftly made. The Sanhedrin departed, feeling triumphant in their scheming, while Judas, invoking the powers of darkness, began plotting to achieve his treacherous goal.

Of the corrupt motives within Judas Iscariot, his greed for silver was particularly prominent, a fact he displayed during the supper at Lazarus’ home while feigning concern for the needy (John 12:6). As noted by the holy Evangelist Luke, Satan seized control of the traitor's darkened heart (Luke 22:3), compelling the lost son (John 17:12) to commit the grave act of betraying his Master. What a stark contrast exists between good and evil, light and darkness! "In that hour," the holy Church proclaims, "while the sinner brought forth the precious anointing oil, the disciple conspired with the wicked; one reveled in the act of pouring out the expensive perfume, while the other rushed to trade the Priceless One; one recognized the Lord, while the other distanced himself from Him; one was liberated, and the other enslaved to the foe." The traitor, abandoning the holy fellowship at Bethany, where his soul could no longer reside, retreated to the domain where the original adversary of God and humanity beckoned him—the shadowy place where the murderous scheme against God had long been brewing. "What will you give me," Judas inquired of the chief priests and leaders, "if I hand Him over to you?" This proposal swiftly alleviated the Sanhedrin of the obstacles hindering their sinister intentions. The closest disciple of Jesus, who was well aware of his Master’s whereabouts and daily activities, could now indicate when it would be most advantageous to apprehend the despised Prophet of Galilee quietly, away from the public’s gaze. By capturing Him and immediately handing Him over to the Roman governor, they absolved themselves of any potential backlash should the people become agitated after discovering what had transpired. The holy Gospel writers Mark and Luke explicitly state that the chief priests and leaders rejoiced upon hearing Judas' proposal, anticipating that they could eliminate the Nazarene in the manner they desired—faithfully and discreetly. With eager consent, they agreed to compensate the betrayer with money, though they may have misjudged Judas' expectations regarding the amount, offering him thirty pieces of silver instead. This equates to a silver shekel, which was valued around 90 kopecks during Jesus' time, making thirty shekels approximately 30 rubles. This sum was the typical price for a slave, as outlined in the law of Moses (Exodus 21:32), compensation the Master would receive in the event of loss. By setting such a price, possibly out of disdain for the value of the one betrayed or due to the greed of the traitor, who was easily satisfied, did Christ’s adversaries believe they were fulfilling an ancient prophecy? "They," the prophet Zechariah foretold, "have assigned My wages at thirty pieces of silver—an esteemed price at which they deemed Me valuable! And I took the thirty pieces of silver and cast them into the Lord's temple for the potter" (Zechariah 11:12, 13).