The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-10-22
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AN UNFAITHFUL TREASURER'S
 RAIL
aA-BIbkE. E.sTUDY.oN ~

FALL
 1 Matthew 26:14-25, 4,; 27:3-1O--October 25 Woe unto that man by whom the Son
 of Man is betrayed. Matthew a6:24. l Judas hailed from southern Palestine. while the other Il of Jesus disciples were
 Galileans. It is inferred that because Of
 superior business qualities Judas was
 made treasurer of the apostolic company. 1 Friends of Jesus noted that He and His
 disciples needed to give their entire time
 to the heralding of the kingdom. It is
 not strange, therefore, that we read that
 some voluntarily denoated money for their support.-Luke 8:3
 l Such voluntary donations made 1t proper
 that there should be a treasurer for the | company and that he should be of su-
 perior business acumen. We find no req
 son for believing that Judas was a bad
 man when selected by Jesus to be an
 apostle. We have every reason to be- 1 lieve that he developed a bad character
 even under the most favorable influences
 in the continual company of Jesus and
 the other apostles, and with the message
 of the Kingdom continually in his ears | There was. however, a beginning ,f his
 defiection; and the Scriptures intimate ! that his temptation came along the lines
 of aVarice, selfishness. love of money. It
 root of all evil.
 | A Fulfillment of Prophecy l Afterward, apparently, the disciples learned that Judas was thief (John 12 O. | Doubtless even when appropriating mon- , eys contributed to the support of the little company Judas could have some plausible excuse; for sin is always decep-
 tive. Breeding on the subject increased his desire for money and led his active
 business mind to hatch out the plot for the betrayal of Jesus
 The record is that when Judas per- ceived that Jeeus had been condemned, he took the money back to the chief priests. wishing to undo his deed. They
 laughed at him, declaring that 1t was no concern of theirs, but his own, if he had betrayed innocent blood Bece use 1t was blood money they could not put 1t Into the temple treasury again. Instead, they purchased herewith a piece of cheap land, potter's field, as q burial place for sti angers. Thus they fulIned to the very letter a prophecy which shsy had probably fcrgotten.-Matthew 27:y, 10. The account implies that Judas was surprised when Jesus was condemned Apparently he surmised that Jesus
 brought to the crucial test, would assert Himself as the Messiah and would tri- | rmph over His enemies. Judas thus prctsbly thought that he would hasten the esta blishment of the kingdom, in which he hoped to share. Thus he would slime as hero. as well as demonstrate his financial wisdom and his suitability for the post of grand treasurer of the Kingdom. In addition, apparently he was little angry at Jesus because the Mas ter had approved of Mary's conduct in re- srect to the spikenard. It was under the impulse of that resentment that he first sought the priests and the scribes to ne- gotiate for the betrayal.
 No Hope of a Resurrection
 We are not suggesting excuses for Ju- oas. No excuse can properly be offered for treachery to God and His cause We merely point out the fact that every transgressor must first consent to his own mind to his wrong course; tho mind, ths conscience. mutt be perverted before each step of sin. Hence Jesus words are fully justified: Ut had been good for that man had he not ben born.'
 Such treachery, such willingness to u6nu over HiS Friend, ms Ieucnef, tne One whom he had accepted as the Son of God and through whom he had expected the Meseianic kingdom. was perfidy of the worst type. He had been constantly with the Savior, and hence knew of the purity of His life, Thew of His loyalty to God. Therefore these things consti. tuted his responsibility and his guilt.
 The fact that he committed suicide inn piled fulhlment of Jesus words-that sudas wished that he had not been born. Yet there is a hope for other suicides, because of their ignorance and because Christ died for all. But in the case of Judas all this is discounted by tho fact that he had already enjoyed such privi- leges and had sinned against light and knowledge. The declaration that he went to his own place, his appropriate place, does not signify that he or anybody else Is to be tortured eternally as a punish nent for sin. Rather. his own place was tcpeless oblivion. without prospect of . resurrection. He died like a natural brute beast, nor could argument be shown why such character should ever have any future opportunity. The fact that God had foreknown that cne of the twelve would betray Jesus, the fact that the purchase of the field with the blood money had been prophe- sled, did not alter the responsibility of