The Tale of Two Traitors

Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified,
"Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me."
The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant.
One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved,
was reclining at Jesus' side.
So Simon Peter nodded to him to find out whom he meant.
He leaned back against Jesus' chest and said to him,
"Master, who is it?"
Jesus answered,
"It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it."
So he dipped the morsel and took it and handed it to Judas,
son of Simon the Iscariot.
After Judas took the morsel, Satan entered him.
So Jesus said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly."
Now none of those reclining at table realized why he said this to him.
Some thought that since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus had told him,
"Buy what we need for the feast,"
or to give something to the poor.
So Judas took the morsel and left at once. And it was night...

Simon Peter said to him, "Master, where are you going?"
Jesus answered him,
"Where I am going, you cannot follow me now,
though you will follow later."
Peter said to him,
"Master, why can I not follow you now? 
I will lay down my life for you."
Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me?
Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow
before you deny me three times."

The happenings at the Last Supper don't always get the recognition that they deserve.  Many things happened at this moment that changed the world forever.  For example, we have the tale of the two traitors.  Before the day was done both of these men will have betrayed the Son of God.   

Judas Iscariot was sitting at table with the other apostles.  There were only two people at that table that knew for certain how this evening was going to end.  Jesus, of course, knew what was going to occur and Judas also knew because he was the instigator of it all.  He had gone to the temple crew and offered to deliver Jesus to them at a time and place when there would be no crowd around so there would be no riot.  The temple gang wanted things to be done quietly and neatly and Judasa assured them that he was their man.  Judas knew that after the Passover meal had concluded that they would be going to the Garden of Gethsemane for they often went there and slept in the quiet coolness of the olive grove.  It was to this place that Judas brought a gang carrying swords and clubs and it was in this place that he betrayed the Son of God with a kiss. He knew or had a  good idea of what was going to happen to Jesus.  The justice system at the time didn't have too many penalties other than banishment or death on the menu for persons found guilty of crimes against the state. So, he knew that there was a good chance that he was betraying Jesus to His death.  Judas did not care.  Once Jesus was arrested it would be his right to confiscate the common purse of the disciples and to keep it as his own.  Also, while it wasn't much, he had received thirty pieces of silver for his service to the High Priest, worth today approximately one-hundred-eighty-dollars. But more than that, the High Priest was under an obligation to Judas.  Maybe after all of this quieted down he could ask for a money changing concession in the temple and therefore be set for life.   All seemed good in the life of Judas until the sentence of death was handed down.  It was then that he realized that he had been wrong.  He went to the temple and demanded to speak to the High Priest.  He told them that he had betrayed innocent blood.  The temple crew laughed and told him that was his concern.  Judas tried to give back the money.  The Chief Priest refused the money and turned to leave. Judas, in despair, took the thirty pieces of silver and flung them at the backs of the retreating temple management team.  The devil inside of Judas now laughed at doubled the despair in the disciple's soul by reminding him of all of the good things that Jesus had done for him personally.  Despair mounted in the soul of the traitor and he went out into the darkness and committed suicide plunging him into the eternal darkness.

Peter, the leader of the Apostles, was a rough and tumble sort of guy.  No one was going to push him around.  He loved Jesus and believed Him to be the Son of God, the Messiah.  He would be the one in the garden to take up a sword and cut of the ear of the high priest's servant causing Jesus to perform one last healing miracle, that went unnoticed on that night, as the passion of our Lord began in earnest as Jesus was tied and brought along to the house of Annas, the former high priest and the father in law of Caiaphas who served Yahewh as high priest that year.  Annas wanted to see this man who had stirred up so much trouble and had overturned the money changers tables in the temple which cost Annas quite a bit of money.  He came out and looked into the face of Jesus and after a question or two, he sent Him on His way.  Annas was not impressed.  The Savior was next brought to the home of Caiaphas who had summoned the council, at least the ones who would be in favor of condemning Jesus for an impromptu and illegal trial by night.  Now, Peter had friends in this household so he was allowed entrance.  He wanted to stay close to Jesus, to defend Him, to die with Him if necessary.  It was a cold night so he went to the fire to warm himself.  In the light of the fire, one servant of the high priest accused him of being a follower of Jesus.  Peter stood to full stature and bravely said, "I do not know the man."  The servant shook her head and went about her business. Later, another asked if he was a follower of this Jesus fellow.  Peter, once again denied even knowing the man.  The man he said, he could not even bring himself to say the name of Jesus. A little while later as the night sky began to lighten, he once again was accosted and this time they mentioned that he was dressed as a Galileean.  Peter, cursed and swore and for a third time denied that he even knew Jesus.  The crock crowed, and Jesus who was being moved from one place to another looked at Peter.  Peter ran out and cried bitterly.

Two men, both followers of Jesus.  Each in their own way a traitor to the Lord.  Each of them deserving to be cut off from friendship forever.  Yet in one respect the two men could not be more different.  Judas, the treasurer, had but one god in his life and there was not much room for another.  When he joined the troop of apostles he did so to make money, he was good at that.  He took command of the group's finances and if there was some leakage from the common purse into his purse, well, that is all well and good.  At first, he thought he had made it for life.  Jesus was popular and he was growing more popular by the day.  Donations came in, not in a flood like he had hoped for but enough to keep them in bread and wine with a little left over for his purse and maybe just a little for the poor.  The treasurer could see the day when Jesus gathered the people and after dispatching the Romans out of Israel, He and the apostles would move into the palace and rule the kingdom.  Over the years, however, although Jesus was popular with the peasants, he was making enemies of the high priest and his family and friends. Judas had to find a way out, one that netted him a profit.  As we have seen, Judas was a follower of Jesus for convenience. He ended up permanently on the outside looking in.  He did not ask for forgiveness, he despaired of the mercy of God and killed himself.  His only friend was darkness.

Peter, on the other hand, was a believer. It was he that first declared that he believed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God.  Jesus saw strength in Peter and told him that it was upon Peter that He would build His Church and that the gates of hell would not prevail against it.  Peter was a brave man.  He was a true leader and Jesus groomed him for the day when he would lead the twelve and would spread the Gospel, the Good News, over the whole world.  But, it seems that Peter too betrayed the Lord, three times denying that he even knew Him.  Given his rank as chief of the apostles, this was a grave sin, a mortal sin.  Filled with guilt, Peter left the house of Caiphas and cried bitterly and begged for forgiveness.  He was personally forgiven by Jesus on the seashore when Jesus asked three times if Peter loved him.  And three times Peter answered yes.

Two men, traitors both.  Yet they are as different as night and day.  Judas had his pride and this pride would not allow him to ask for forgiveness.  He could have been Saint Judas but instead, he chose that path of darkness.  Peter, on the other hand, swallowed his pride and allowed Jesus to forgive him and he went on preaching and teaching and ending up being crucified upside down because he felt unworthy to die as his Master had. 

This is the week we call Holy Week.  You have a choice to make.  Who is your champion? Is it Judas who remained silent, forsaking repentance and choosing death over everlasting life?  Or do you choose Peter, who repented and worked the rest of his life as a servant of the Lord?  Choose, you have to be on one team or the other.  


We are in an age where the mercy of God is flowing not at a trickle but at a torrent.  He calls us to look at ourselves and see where we have fallen short.  He calls us to repent and to confess our sins so that they can be forgiven.  God's grace is there for the taking, free pardon for what you have done and what you have failed to do.  Do not let Easter find you the same person as you were before Lent began.  Accept the mercy of God and be like Peter.