We don’t know when Judas had a change of heart regarding Jesus. It could’ve been when he began to see a profit from Jesus’ ministry. He was the troupe’s treasurer after all. He could see what was being donated by rich and poor. He noticed the meager amount being spent on sustenance. They didn’t have to pay for lodging. The numbers could easily have been manipulated. Jesus wasn’t doing this for the money. His concern was saving souls. In addition, when Judas witnessed Mary using expensive nard to anoint Jesus, it was like the last straw. He saw it as a complete waste of money.

Judas started out as a faithful follower. He was in charge of what came in and what went out. The devil often uses those situations to make us feel justified in doing his will. When he entered Judas’ heart, the wheels were set in motion for what would lead to the gruesome death of his rabbi. When he finally made a clandestine deal with the church leaders, it was God’s will that was being done. It was a necessary part of the story – a story that was planned at the beginning of time.

When conscience comes into play and the reality of wrongdoing becomes visible, the mind can be subject to emotional somersaults. Like the old cartoon image with Sylvester the Cat having an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other, we try to rationalize our behavior. We make excuses. We feel that we’re doing the right thing for all the right reasons, but in truth there’s no truth in our thinking. The battle between good and evil is a reality that we all face at some time during our lives. Eventually, Judas couldn’t bear his guilt and took his own life.

This day in the church calendar is commonly referred to as “Spy Wednesday.” This was the betrayal that Jesus would speak of the next day as He dined with the twelve. Judas would steer a small army of men to the Garden of Gethsemane that night to arrest Jesus for crimes unknown. The lamb would go uncomplaining forth, because He knew that He had to.

THANK YOU, JESUS, FOR ANOTHER DAY!