LESSON XXXI.
JUDAS.
John, xii. 6. Matthew, xxvi. 3, 4, 14-16.
Jesus had twelve disciples. Did they all love him?
Peter loved Jesus, and John loved him, and all the rest loved him, but one; his name was Judas. He did not love Jesus, but only pretended to love him. He was like the devil.
Did Jesus know how wicked Judas was? Yes, he saw into his heart; but the disciples thought Judas was good; for Judas used to kiss the Lord Jesus, and speak kindly to him, and talk about God like the rest.
But Judas loved something; he loved money. He wanted to get a great deal of money.
He was covetous, and he was a thief. The disciples had a bag, and when they had money they put it in the bag; and all the disciples put their money in the same bag. But there was very little money in the bag, for they were very poor. Judas used to take care of the bag, and he used to steal some of the money out of it, and keep it for himself; but no one found him out, or thought he was a thief, except Jesus, and he knew it well.
Judas was always thinking, How shall I get money?
One day, when the proud men were sitting together, Judas came in. Judas said to them, You want to find Jesus when he is alone: will you give me some money, and I will show you where he goes at night?
The proud people said, Yes, we will.
Judas said, How much money will you give me?
They said, Thirty pieces of silver.
Then Judas said, Some night I will bring you to Jesus when he is alone.
The wicked people were very glad to hear this.
Now, thought they, we shall soon catch him and kill him.
Judas went back to Jesus, but he did not tell the disciples what he had done. Jesus knew what he had been doing; for Jesus could see all his thoughts, and he knew all that Judas did, both in the day and in the night. Yet Jesus did not tell Judas that he knew his wicked plans.