JUDAS: A CHARACTER STUDY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 55, 6 March 1900, Page 2

JUDAS: A CHARACTER STUDY.

The Rev. Joseph Clark, preaching at the Tabernacle yesterday from Matt, xxvii. I—7, said: —

Those who have tried to diagnose the character of Judas have found considerable perplexity. Some have tried -to make him not so bad as he appears to be. But let us look at his own estimate of himself. Remember what has gone before. The Lord and the disciples take the last meal together. After supper they went out into the silent night, to the old meeting place, the Garden of Gethsemane, seeking kindly shade beneath its trees. Judas has stayed behind. He has interviewed the priests. He has made a bargain with them. "What will you give me?" They fix the price at thirty pieces of silver., The more faithful have gone with their Lord,' and yet they are not much to boast about, for they sleep, absolutely dead to the issues of the hour. It is a moonlit eveningl. Suddenly there are torches and a great crowd of noisy men, with soldiers and priests, possibly some 400 in number. The Saviour has been praying, "If it be possible, let this cup pass from Me, nevertheless, not My will but Thine be done." The silence of the night is broken by the rude band with staves and torches. Christ asks — Why this army? •Are you come to seize a human monster? An arrangement has been made by Judas and the priests. He is to identify the Lord by the sign indicative of t love. We read "He kissed him much." ,We cannot painfc his character black enough. Contrast this kiss with that of the penitent woman at Jesus' feet, or that of the father for the returned prodigal, Jesus is led away. He says, "I am' He whom ye seek. Why did you not arrest Me when I was with you in the temple?" Can you understand the treachery of Judas? I hope you cannot. If you can enter into the secret of this man your heart and mind must surely be like his. How can we. unravel his character? Think of him, a traitor to his best friend, the fairest flower of humanity, whose mercies had been so liberally bestowed. Think of the act immediately after the most solemn assembly ever held in the world, where Jesus

presided, and poured out His very heart's love. Most momentous were the issues. This treachery is performed for a miserable sum of money, thirty pieces of silver! Two ingredients in the character of this man were a sordid love of money and duplicity. When Mary came to the Saviour's feet and broke the box of ointment, Judas, the man of. lynx eye and steel heart, asks: "Could not this money have been spent for the hungry?" "oh, the selfishness and avarice of this monster. Naught did he care for the hungry, but wanted as treasurer to handle the money. I suppose the most terrible of all sins is the love of money. I believe this greed of gold has damned more souls than any other sin. We read that Judas repented. Was it true penitence — change of heart? No; simply remorse or bitter regret. He repented because he was caught, because he was found out. He had shed innocent blood, and could find no possible justification for his villainy. Peter also repented. Christ on His journey to Calvary ! turned and looked on Peter, who met His glance and became a heart-broken and contrite man. That .is sincere repentance. A distinctly different emotion was that of Judas, who only repented at the dire consequences and jme'shwork of difficulty surrounding his I crime. He cannot cover it by finding one defect in Christ's character. Mem* I ory makes the remorse more keen. ; The greatest philosophers agree that there is not a thought or action or I aspiration that shall be fm-gotten. Listen to the confession of Judas: "I shed innocent blood! Innocent blood!" But here was an opportunity to earn thirty pieces of silver! Never was bright morn put to darker use. Hei-e is an unconscious testimony to the life of Christ. The sweet, pure, perfectly lovely life of our Lord is declared so by the black traitor Judas. It is supposed he discussed the matter with the priests in the Temple just before the most holy place. The money is tainted. He hurls the thirty silver pieces down, as if they were so many serpents to bite him. The ring of the coin on the pavement pierces his guilty soul and haunts him. The scene is very dramatic. The cold-hearted priest's reply to- his exclamation, "It is thy business; see thou to that." Some say, "I could never act like Judas." Beware. "Let him that' thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." Be warned by this man, whose end was despair, madness, suicide. We may betray Christ by deserting His cause, by denying our relation to Him, by rendering empty lip service. He pardoneth and absolveth all those who truly repent and unfeignedly believe His holy gospel. God give us grace and wisdom to avail of this, for His Name's sake.