Through Mary’s Eyes: The Betrayal by Judas

We can only imagine what Mary must have felt to hear that her son had been betrayed by a friend. Betrayed for what? Money! Greed! Power! Anger! He was a friend Mary had certainly entertained at her home and knew well because of his friendship with Jesus. What did the Blessed Mother think about the betrayal? We are not told in Sacred Scripture, but we can surmise based on what we know about her, as well as what we know about Judas.

“Then one of the Twelve, who was called the Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests, and said, ‘What are you willing to give me if I had him over to you?’ They paid him thirty pieces of silver, and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to have him over.” (Matthew 26:14-16)

I can imagine the shock and disbelief Mary must have felt, yet the compassion she surely had for Judas. Mary, the mother of God, had a heart for the Lord and to serve the God of all Creation. She surrendered to him, and we know Mary had a desire to see others serve the Lord as well based on her own obedience.

What would Mary have thought? What would she have said to Judas? What we she have prayed? Again, we are uncertain, but we can imagine how she must have felt.

“Oh Judas, dear Judas. My son was so kind and gracious to you. He chose you. I am certain he knew you would betray him even when he chose you, yet he called you anyway. He gave you a chance. Perhaps that’s why he chose you. But did you always know you would turn against him? When did you know? Or was your heart always that cold and callous? I believe you were not always cold-hearted and full of greed and evil. I know you. I see you.

Oh Judas, betrayer of the Lord, when was it that Satan entered you and overcame you with temptation? A betrayal like that did not arise from one moment. You approached the priests. You went to them to hand my beloved son over to those who wished to harm him. You offered to hand the Lord, your friend, your companion, your teacher, over to them for money. Was it even money you were seeking? The small amount of money you received for such a horrendous betrayal was nothing. It was the price of a slave. You were the slave. You were the slave of sin and Satan. Your soul is not worth it. There is no price to be placed on your soul, yet you sold it for 30 pieces of silver.

Your hand had been dipping from funds belonging to all of your friends for quite some time. Did you turn to hate my son that bad? Was it just greed and jealousy of the wealth of others? Was it political power? Was it resentment? Regardless, you received a small handful of change. But it was not wealth you gained. It was guilty.

Somewhere deep down you cared for my son. You must have loved him. I know you must not have foreseen how your betrayal would end in his arrest and crucifixion. I know you were saddened, and I forgive you. I am saddened for you that you allowed such sin to destroy you to the point of death.

Judas, dear Judas, I remember the conversations in my home and the miracles of my son you witnessed. The excitement in your voice while recounting what you had seen and heard. The disbelief in your eyes as you told of how you had healed the sick and cast out demons. I know my son loves you and He forgives you. I love you and forgive you. His heart breaks for the loss of a friend.

I pray, Judas, your betrayal of the Lord, the Messiah, will be a warning to others how sin creeps into your life over time and destroys you.

Oh Judas, you were better than this…..I am sorry you fell. I am sorry you became a slave to sin and Satan. I am sorry you sold your soul to the one who will never love you.”

Of course, this is hypothetical since we are not told how she reacted or what she would have felt. However, we can be confident that she remained in full and perfect grace and, therefore, must have had a forgiving and anguished heart for the sin and repercussions Judas suffered. We, too, must follow in the steps and example of the Blessed Mother and have a heart like Christ. We must be humble and forgiving, despite the deep pain others may have caused us.

We can all be betrayed. Many of us have been deeply betrayed. We all do not have the ability to forgive, but we are called by Christ as Christians to forgive. We are asked to love without counting the cost. Jesus did. Mary did. We, too, should.