Woe to That Man
April 16, 2025 - Wednesday of Holy Week
Matthew 26:14-25
In today's Gospel, Judas is portrayed as a mercenary informant, ready to sell his master for money. Such individuals are universally condemned, and our disapproval grows even greater when they were once trusted friends with whom we shared work and meals.
The theme of Judas’ betrayal appeared yesterday in the Gospel of John and is now brought to the forefront in Matthew. Judas approaches the chief priests with a chilling proposal: “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” Some scholars have attempted to mitigate his actions by noting that the verb “hand over” does not precisely mean “to betray,” arguing that a more specific term exists for that deed. Yet no linguistic nuance can justify handing over someone you know well to the authorities for money.
The price—“thirty pieces of silver”—is mentioned only in Matthew, evoking the passage in Zechariah 11:12-13, where the same sum is offered to a shepherd rejected by his flock. In that context, the amount appears to be the price for breaking the covenant with God, underscoring how little the people valued their relationship with Him. Likewise, Judas’ act recalls Judah from the book of Genesis—whose name is identical in Greek—who proposed selling his brother, the young Joseph, into slavery.
Throughout their journey from Galilee to Jerusalem, Jesus foretold on three occasions that He would be handed over to the authorities. Yet only now is the betrayer explicitly identified. Here, we encounter a biblical paradox. On one hand, what happened to Jesus was foretold in the scriptures—“The Son of Man is indeed going away as it is written about him”—revealing that all unfolds according to God’s design. On the other hand, we remain free to choose our role in that design. “But woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed.” Judas was never forced into that ignominious role, yet history is replete with examples of such choices—examples so grave that for some, it might have been better never to have been born than to bear the stain of their actions.
A final, subtle detail further reveals Judas’ disassociation from the group and his lack of true belief in Jesus. He is the only disciple who refers to Jesus as “Teacher” instead of “Lord.” While the other disciples, in bewilderment, ask, “Surely it is not I, Lord?”, Judas inquires, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” In Matthew’s Gospel, only those outside the circle of disciples call Jesus “Rabbi.” Moreover, his question is not only insincere—it condemns him, for he fully knew he was the one.