Holy Wednesday: The Opportune Time
The Wednesday of Holy Week, called Spy Wednesday, commemorates Judas Iscariot’s deliberate decision to betray Jesus, a pivotal moment in Christ’s path to the cross. Judas Iscariot agreed to hand Jesus over to the chief priests in exchange for thirty pieces of silver, leading to Jesus’ arrest, trial, and subsequent crucifixion.
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Temptation is rarely a spontaneous choice, but often comes about through the small permissions we give ourselves. We tell ourselves these seemingly miniscule permissions are one time offenses. We will do better next time. Often temptations seep into what is already present in our lives—expectations that have not been met, unfulfilled desires, or pent up frustrations. Sin frequently grows in the shadows of ordinary days, rather than just in the moments of crisis. The fall into sin can be quiet and subtle.
As Christians, we often like to distance ourselves from Judas—to tell ourselves that we are not like him. However, Judas’ inner erosion is a perfect depiction of how worldly sin can slowly creep into our lives and draw us away from the presence of the Almighty God. Rather than a monster, Judas can be a mirror reflecting our own lives.
Throughout the Gospels, there is not a place where Judas dramatically turns, but instead he subtly falls into betrayal. He begins as an apostle; then his heart strays from Jesus’ teachings and his actions become self-motivated. These small divergences from Jesus’ calling on his life culminate in Judas’ ultimate betrayal.
When Jesus calls the twelve, Luke writes “Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor” (Luke 6:16), which implies Judas did not start out as a traitor. In addition to not beginning as a betrayer, he was chosen by Jesus to be one of his twelve apostles, which displays his inclusion in Jesus’ ministry and the trust Jesus had for him.
Then, the Gospels reveal that Judas slowly begins to fall into sin. In the Gospel of John, Judas complains that Mary is wasteful when she anoints Jesus' feet with expensive perfume because the fragrance–worth a year’s wages–could have been sold to raise money for the impoverished. However, his objections were not because he cared for the poor, but rather because he kept the purse and would help himself to the money (John 12:4-6). To Judas, taking from the moneybag is quiet and rationalizable. Perhaps he felt he deserved the money because of all he sacrificed for Jesus’ cause. Maybe he felt that since the money bag was communal, some of that money was his to use at his own discretion. Most importantly, his description of Mary’s devotion to Jesus as wasteful indicates that his heart posture is no longer pointed toward Jesus. However, his complaint about Mary wasting the bottle of expensive perfume could be considered reasonable as well since money from the perfume could have been used toward other ends that might have seemed more charitable.
Judas' initial transgressions culminated in his ultimate betrayal. Rather than reciprocating the love and grace that Jesus poured into their relationship, Judas’ devotion is replaced with a transactional mindset. He agrees to betray Jesus to the chief priest for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14-15). Once again, Judas' actions are driven by the corruption of money. Then, at the Last Supper, “the devil had already prompted Judas” (John 13:2). Now, Judas is not resisting the temptation, but is instead open to it. He has completely given in to sin.
The devil prompting Judas’ betrayal is an echo of the devil departing until an opportune time. After the devil tempts Jesus, Luke writes "the devil departed until an opportune time" (Luke 4:13). Then, the devil disappears from Luke’s narrative for eighteen chapters until he enters Judas and prompts the betrayal that will lead Jesus to the cross. Temptation does not just disappear; it patiently waits until vulnerabilities reveal themselves and sin can creep in just as the devil departed from Jesus after his temptation and came back when Judas was vulnerable to turn him against Jesus. Judas’ fall was slow and calculated. This opportune time is not an impulsive choice, but rather the culmination of all of Judas’ previous sinful acts.
Judas’ slow descent into sin invites us to reflect on how we too can drift quietly away from God. How do hidden motives and small compromises draw us away from Jesus’ teaching? How do thoughts and ideas of betrayal and sin become acts that lead us to close our hearts devotion to Jesus? While Judas’ story can illuminate our drift towards sin, it also reflects Jesus’ radical forgiveness. Jesus' foreknowledge of Judas’ betrayal magnifies the grace that Jesus had for him. It gives us the opportunity to marvel at the Savior’s sacrifice for us in spite of the times we fail and betray him. Though Judas betrays him, Jesus continues to draw near to him, just as he does for us, even when we falter.