Was Judas evil?

[ajecphotos]

Nobody knows what happens in hell and nobody ‘really’ knows if Judas didnt beg God for forgiveness before he hung himself!!

 

[Della]

Nobody knows what happens in hell and nobody ‘really’ knows if Judas didnt beg God for forgiveness before he hung himself!!

Yes, which is why the Church has never declared Judas’ fate–heaven or hell. What the Church cannot know she does not say. :yup:

 

[smichhertz]

Hi HabemusFrancis!

Excellent questions! I’ll try my best to provide good answers.

Yet is this reputation justified? Despite years of Catholic education, hatred and contempt for Judas has not come to me naturally.

Nor should you. No one should have hatred or contept for anyone.

I know he betrayed Jesus. Yet wasn’t Jesus supposed to be betrayed? Wasn’t his death and crufixtion necessary for the salvation of humanity? I suppose its different though, having it be inevitable that Jesus will be crucified, and someone knowingly being the cause of it.

This gets into the area of speculative theology. We don’t know for sure that it was necessary for Jesus to be betrayed. He did have to suffer and die, that part we know. However, when Judas betrayed Jesus, Judas committed a serious sin. And we know it is NEVER a requirement to sin in order to bring about good. So we can safely say that Judas had a path to salvation and did not have to commit any sinful act in order to bring about the death of Jesus.

Therefore - Judas could have done SOMETHING different. Exactly what, is not as clear.

More than any of the Judean peasents/citizens, Judas must have known who and what Jesus actually was. Could it be that he sold him out because of supreme contempt, rather than greed/dissapointment?

Either way - that doesn’t sound like a very good reason to betray the Son of God.

The gospels say that a “demon” entered Judas shortly after the Last Supper. Do we know if this means a literal demon, or just Judas’ rage/greed/dissapointment/despair coming to fruition?

We don’t know for sure. It could have implied something as mild as giving in to rage, or an actual demonic possession (which would arguably render Judas blameless for the actions that he took after that point).

I always sort of pitied him for the suicide too. I know it is wrong to kill oneself, but it seems the Church now accepts that most people who kill themselves are psychologically unwell, and often do so only under great mental duress/despair.

The church definitely holds that someone who committed suicide is not certain to be in Hell. Anything beyond that is more speculation. Mental illness is certainly a possibility but I imagine a little remote as there are no clear indications of it anywhere in the gospels.

It seems Judas was so sorrowful for having killed Jesus, and somehow believed God/Jesus would never forgive him for it. So he killed himself in despair.

Despair is a very serious sin. One must never lose hope in God or fail to believe that they can be forgiven for their offenses.

So what should I think of Judas? Was he really an evil/horrible person? Does anyone understand my conflict/confusion over him?

You don’t have to think he’s an evil horrible person. Just that his behavior was wrong. He should not have betrayed Jesus, but more importantly, he should not have despaired after. Peter betrayed Jesus as well, but maintained hope in Christ. Some speculate that both Jesus and Judas committed the same sin really - but their reactions to it were different.

Hope that helps!

 

[smichhertz]

What i am trying to say is that God knew what Judas was going to do even before he was born! His life was planned that way? Just asking as i am trying to get my head around it.

Did Judas ‘really’ have a choice if it was written in history that he was going to betray Jesus?

Don’t confuse yourself! Simply because God knew what Judas was going to choose doesn’t mean it wasn’t still Judas’s choice. Same goes for all of us in our own daily life choices.

 

[ajecphotos]

Hi HabemusFrancis!

You don’t have to think he’s an evil horrible person. Just that his behavior was wrong. He should not have betrayed Jesus, but more importantly, he should not have despaired after. Peter betrayed Jesus as well, but maintained hope in Christ. Some speculate that both Jesus and Judas committed the same sin really - but their reactions to it were different.

Hope that helps!

Must be typo!? Jesus is free from sin

 

[smichhertz]

Must be typo!? Jesus is free from sin

Haha whoops! That should’ve been Peter and Judas!

 

[Timothysis]

But is it not right that Judas life was mapped out for him? Jesus knew who was going to betray him and how? God knows everything before it happens so was it just ‘bad luck’ that Judas was the person to betray Our Lord?

Think of the Immaculate Conception. Mary was free to accept or reject God’s offer of her role in mankind’s salvation but He knew that she would say “yes.” Just because God knew her course of action before it happened doesn’t mean that she wasn’t free to choose. It was the same with Judas.

 

[Timothysis]

Nevertheless, the sin he committed was definitely grave matter.

Yes, I would think that betraying God’s only begotten Son to death would definitely be grave matter…

 

[Eliza10]

It is pretty heavily implied in the gospels, as well as in Catholic Tradition, that Judas was evil, a failed apostle, and the ultimate analogy for deceit and betrayal.

Yet is this reputation justified? Despite years of Catholic education, hatred and contempt for Judas has not come to me naturally.

Judas the Deicide. The Betrayer of God. If you ever experience the scourge of true betrayal, you will take comfort in knowing that Our Lord knows just how it feels.

Jesus loved Judas perfectly. Judas was His friend. Jesus gave Judas all his best as far as loving, knowing, teaching.

I know he betrayed Jesus. Yet wasn’t Jesus supposed to be betrayed? Wasn’t his death and crufixtion necessary for the salvation of humanity? I suppose its different though, having it be inevitable that Jesus will be crucified, and someone knowingly being the cause of it.

Yes, because there is sin in the world, someone would have betrayed him. If Judas had not chosen that evil, another would have. Someone would have been tempted, for personal gain or power or esteem with the elite.

More than any of the Judean peasents/citizens, Judas must have known who and what Jesus actually was. Could it be that he sold him out because of supreme contempt, rather than greed/dissapointment?

Probably because of both. He rejected Jesus’ love, which was so real to him. He probably had supreme contempt, like we see in the Pharisees who did not want a humble Lord, A King of a *spiritual kingdom, but a strong, fighting conquering earthly lord of a worldly *kingdom. The king of this world spurned them (and I believe, Judas) to contempt that Jesus was not that.

The gospels say that a “demon” entered Judas shortly after the Last Supper. Do we know if this means a literal demon, or just Judas’ rage/greed/dissapointment/despair coming to fruition?

Probably the demon that Judas had invited all along, by his choices. They say when demons take a soul over that the person has in some way opened the door. At the Last Supper Judas would have already been making arrangements to betray Jesus to the Pharisees. I think he left to go finalize that? So when he did that act, that may have “sealed” his previously just-contemplated determination to betray Our Lord. He officially took his stand alongside with the evil ones, then - which is really like an open invite to the demons, isn’t it?

I always sort of pitied him for the suicide too. I know it is wrong to kill oneself, but it seems the Church now accepts that most people who kill themselves are psychologically unwell, and often do so only under great mental duress/despair.

I don’t know, would you have pitied Hitler if he committed suicide (don’t know that guys history exactly - was he bombed or something?) because people were after him? Suicide is sad, but it is also considered a selfish act. A rejection of the Mercy of God. Don’t you think Jesus would have known Judas’ heart and made especially valiant and perfect attempts to let Judas see His mercy and that He would forgive *anything? *No matter how hard God tries with us, we can choose to reject Him…

It seems Judas was so sorrowful for having killed Jesus, and somehow believed God/Jesus would never forgive him for it. So he killed himself in despair.

Oh, yes, I see you said that. Well, why was he sorry he killed Jesus? Maybe he thought it would make him loved and esteemed by the Pharisees, by the great and the powerful. But the 'great ones" did not seem like as if they thought so much of him after he helped them out, betraying our Lord. And he certainly could figure what others would think of him and his role. Maybe the love of God did not mean as much to him as the esteem of others?

So what should I think of Judas? Was he really an evil/horrible person? Does anyone understand my conflict/confusion over him?

I think he must have been deeply broken and tempted to evil and wrong from a young age if even the great love and teaching and friendship of Jesus could not make him love God more than the world.