Mt 26:14-25 Surely it Isn't I, Lord?

Wednesday of Holy Week
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One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?”  They paid him thirty pieces of silver, and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.

Selling the Lord for cheap.  One of my favorite television programs is called "Forensic Files."  It's my favorite because I love science (when it is applied for good) and the drama of human existence.

I find it fascinating how crimes can be solved through forensic science and trace evidence.  But what I really find interesting is the reason - the motif - behind the crimes.   It amazes me how somebody would kill another human being just for money - as little as twenty-thousand dollars -, or a piece of jewelry - like a ring or a necklace -, or just for the thrill of it. 

With all that I have seen, I'm still shocked by the fact that Judas betrayed Christ for thirty pieces of silver.  What in the world was he thinking?  But is this all the evidence we have?  Not really.  As we will see in the coming days, there's more to this crime than meets the eye.

A little bit of Judas in all of us.  We've all had our moments when we let our thoughts run wild: when we imagined personal greatness or doing something really amazing - even heroic - that put us on the front cover of some famous magazine.  What typically stopped us dead in our thoughts were the odds against any of these things actually happening. After all, most of us are in no position to make a significant difference in the world.  At least this is how we feel when it comes to being good.  But when it comes to being evil, all bets are off. 

Being evil is a lot easier than being good.  Why is that? 

Sure, we've had our brief moments of imagining being superheroes but we've also had our long drawn out moments of being super-villains.   It seems to come pretty easy to us.  Why is that?  It's original sin.  And just like our world, our lives and minds our upside down. 

What motivated Judas to do what he did?  The same things that occasionally motivate us:  ambition, pride, vanity and sensuality.

Never say never.  Like most of us, Judas wanted to be heard.  He wanted to be respected.  He wanted his opinions to be accepted.  He wanted to move up in the ranks and be acknowledged before others; especially Jesus, Peter, James and John. 

Judas was a wanna be, just like me.  And since he couldn't take center stage, he ended up exiting stage left.  He sold the Lord out for silver. 

I can honestly relate to Judas.  And this is a very important lesson for me. 

We all have a little bit of Judas in us. 

So what's my price?  What am I willing to exchange the Lord for? 

If we want to defeat the dark angels within us, then we need to know what they are thinking...and thinking all the time. 

Surely it isn't I, Lord?  What a question!  Instead of feeling safe and snug around Jesus, the Apostles should have been terrified and humbled around Him; asking, with trembling voices, "Is it I, Lord?"