e cannot suppose that a keen-sighted
man like Judas could expect that, even supposing he did force our Lord
to proclaim Himself, his own share in the business would be rewarded. He
could not suppose this after the terrible denunciation and explicit
statement that still rang in his ears when he hanged himself: "The Son
of man goeth as it is written of Him: but woe unto that man by whom the
Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been
born."

We must then abide by the more commonplace view of this crime. The only
mitigating circumstance that can be admitted is, that possibly among the
many perplexed thoughts entertained by Judas he may have supposed that
Jesus would be acquitted, or would at least not be punished with death.
Still, this being admitted, the fact remains that he cared so little
for the love of Christ, and regarded so little the good He was doing,
and had so little common honour in him, that he sold his Master to His
deadly enemies. And this monstrous wickedness is to be accounted for
mainly by his love of money. Naturally covetous, he fed his evil
disposition during those years he carried the bag for the disciples:
while the rest are taken up with more spiritual matters, he gives more
of his thought than is needful to the matter of collecting as much as
possible; he counts it his special province to protect himself and the
others against all "the probable emergencies and changes of life." This
he does, regardless of the frequent admonitions he hears from the Lord
addressed to others; and as he finds excuses for his own avarice in the
face of these admonitions, and hardens himself against the better
impulses that are stirred within him by the words and presence of
Christ, his covetousness roots itself deeper and deeper in his soul. Add
to this, that now he was a disappointed man: the other disciples,
finding that the kingdom of Christ was to be spiritual, were pure and
high-minded enough to see that their disappointment was their great
gain. The love of Christ had transformed them, and to be like Him was
enough for them; but Judas still clung to the idea of earthly grandeur
and wealth, and finding Christ was not to give him these he was soured
and embittered. He saw that now, since that scene at Bethany the week
before, his covetousness and earthliness would be resisted and would
also betray him. He felt that he could no longer endure this
poverty-stricken life, and had some rage