John Chrysostom, On Judas's Betrayal

approaching in prayer. For Christ did not counsel these things only for the sake of enemies, but also for the sake of us who forgive them their sins; for you receive greater things than you give, when you forgive anger toward your enemy. And how do I receive greater things? he says. If you forgive the sins against your enemy, your trespasses against the Master are forgiven you. Those are incurable and unpardonable; these have much comfort and pardon. Listen then to Eli saying to his sons: If a man sinning sins against a man, they will also pray for him; but if he sins against God, who will pray for him? So that wound is not easily healed even by prayer; by prayer it is not healed, but by forgiveness of the sins against a neighbor it is healed. Therefore Christ called those—the sins against the Master—ten thousand talents; but these, one hundred denarii. Forgive, therefore, one hundred denarii, that ten thousand talents may be forgiven you.

2. But enough has been said about prayer for enemies; but let us return, if you please, to the account of the betrayal, and let us see how our Master was betrayed. Then one of the twelve, the one called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said: What are you willing to give me, and I will deliver him 49.375 to you? And what is said seems to be clear, and to hint at nothing more; but if one examines each of the things said with precision, it has much contemplation, and great is the depth of the meanings. And first, the time. For the evangelist does not simply note it; for he did not say simply "he went," but added, "Then he went." Then? Tell me, when? And for what reason does he mark the time? What does he wish to teach me? For "Then" is not said simply, for speaking by the Spirit he does not speak simply or in vain. What then is "Then"? Before that time, before that very hour, a harlot came, having an alabaster box of ointment, and poured that oil upon the Lord's head. She showed great service, she showed great faith, great obedience and reverence; she was changed from her former life, she became better and more temperate. And when the harlot repented, when she drew the Master to herself, then the disciple betrayed the teacher. For this reason he said, "Then," lest you should accuse the teacher of weakness, when you see the disciple betraying the teacher. For so great was the power of the teacher, as to draw even harlots to his own obedience. Why then, he says, did he who drew harlots not have the strength to draw a disciple? He had the strength to draw the disciple, but he did not wish to make him good by necessity, nor to drag him to himself by force. Then he went. This also has a not insignificant insight, the "He went;" for not having been summoned by the chief priests, not compelled nor forced, but he himself of his own accord and from within begat the deceit, and brought forth this purpose, having no one as a counselor for this wickedness. Then went one of the twelve. What is, "One of the twelve"? And this shows that the accusation against him is very great, in saying, "One of the twelve." For there were other disciples of Jesus, seventy in number; but they held the second rank, they did not enjoy so much honor, nor did they partake of so much boldness, they did not share in secrets so much as the twelve. These were especially approved, and this was the choir around the king; this was the company around the teacher, and from this Judas leaped forth. So that you may learn that not just any disciple betrayed him, but one of the most approved rank, for this reason he says: "One of the twelve." And Matthew, who wrote these things, is not ashamed. For what reason is he not ashamed? So that you may learn that everywhere they speak all things with truth, and they hide nothing, not even the things that seem to be shameful. For these things that seem to be shameful, these show the Master's love for mankind; that He deemed the traitor, the robber, the thief, worthy of so many good things, and He continued to bear with him until the last hour; for He both admonished and counseled and cared for him in every way. But if

εὐχῇ προσιόντα. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὁ Χριστὸς ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ταῦτα παρῄνεσε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τῶν ἀφιέντων ἐκείνοις τὰ ἁμαρτήματα· μείζονα γὰρ λαμβάνεις ἢ δίδως, ἀφιεὶς τὴν ὀργὴν τῷ ἐχθρῷ. Καὶ πῶς μείζονα λαμβάνω; φησίν. Ἐὰν ἀφήσῃς τὰ εἰς τὸν ἐχθρὸν ἁμαρτήματα, συγχωρεῖταί σοι τὰ εἰς τὸν ∆εσπότην πλημμελήματα. Ἐκεῖνα ἀνίατά εἰσι καὶ ἀσύγγνωστα· ταῦτα πολλὴν ἔχει παραμυθίαν καὶ συγγνώμην. Ἄκουσον γοῦν τοῦ Ἠλὶ λέγοντος πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ· Ἐὰν ἁμαρτάνων ἁμάρτῃ ἄνθρωπος εἰς ἄνθρωπον, καὶ προσεύξονται περὶ αὐτοῦ· ἐὰν δὲ εἰς Θεὸν ἁμάρτῃ, τίς προσεύξεται περὶ αὐτοῦ; Ὥστε ἐκεῖνο τὸ τραῦμα οὔτε εὐχῇ ῥᾳδίως λύεται· εὐχῇ μὲν οὐ λύεται, συγχωρήσει δὲ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων τῶν εἰς τὸν πλησίον λέλυται. ∆ιὸ ἐκεῖνα μὲν μύρια τάλαντα ἐκάλεσεν ὁ Χριστὸς, τὰ εἰς τὸν ∆εσπότην ἁμαρτήματα· ταῦτα δὲ ἑκατὸν δηνάρια. Ἄφες οὖν ἑκατὸν δηνάρια, ἵνα ἀφεθῇ σοι μύρια τάλαντα.

βʹ. Ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν περὶ τῆς εὐχῆς τῆς ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἱκανῶς εἴρηται· ἐπὶ δὲ τὸν τῆς προδοσίας, εἰ δοκεῖ, ἐπανέλθωμεν λόγον, καὶ ἴδωμεν πῶς παρεδόθη ἡμῶν ὁ ∆εσπότης. Τότε πορευθεὶς εἷς τῶν δώδεκα, Ἰούδας ὁ λεγόμενος Ἰσκαριώτης, πρὸς τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς, εἶπε· Τί θέλετέ μοι δοῦναι, κἀγὼ ὑμῖν παραδώσω 49.375 αὐτόν; Καὶ δοκεῖ μὲν σαφὲς εἶναι τὸ λεγόμενον, καὶ μηδὲν πλέον αἰνίττεσθαι· εἰ δέ τις ἀκριβῶς ἐξετάσῃ ἓν ἕκαστον τῶν λεγομένων, πολλὴν ἔχει τὴν θεωρίαν, καὶ πολὺ τὸ βάθος τῶν νοημάτων. Καὶ πρῶτον, ὁ καιρός. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς αὐτὸν ἐπισημαίνεται ὁ εὐαγγελιστής· οὐ γὰρ εἶπε πορευθεὶς ἁπλῶς. ἀλλὰ προσέθηκε τὸ Τότε πορευθείς. Τότε; εἰπέ μοι, πότε; καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν ἐπισημαίνει τὸν χρόνον; τί με βούλεται διδάξαι; Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς εἴρηται τὸ, Τότε, καὶ γὰρ Πνεύματι φθεγγόμενος οὐδὲ ἁπλῶς οὐδὲ εἰκῆ φθέγγεται. Τί οὖν ἐστι τὸ, Τότε; Πρὸ αὐτοῦ τοῦ χρόνου, πρὸ αὐτῆς τῆς ὥρας προσῆλθε πόρνη, ἀλάβαστρον μύρου ἔχουσα, καὶ κατέχεε τὸ ἔλαιον ἐκεῖνο ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ Κυρίου. Ἐπεδείξατο πολλὴν θεραπείαν, ἐπεδείξατο πολλὴν πίστιν, πολλὴν ὑπακοὴν καὶ εὐλάβειαν· μετεβλήθη ἀπὸ τοῦ προτέρου βίου, ἐγένετο βελτίων καὶ σωφρονεστέρα. Καὶ ὅτε ἡ πόρνη μετενόησεν, ὅτε τὸν ∆εσπότην ἐπεσπάσατο, τότε ὁ μαθητὴς τὸν διδάσκαλον προέδωκε. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο εἶπε, Τότε, ἵνα μὴ κατηγορήσῃς τοῦ διδασκάλου ἀσθένειαν, ὅταν ἴδῃς τὸν μαθητὴν προδιδόντα τὸν διδάσκαλον. Τοσαύτη γὰρ ἦν ἡ δύναμις τοῦ διδασκάλου, ὡς καὶ πόρνας ἐπισπᾶσθαι εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν ὑπακοήν. Τί οὖν, φησὶν, ὁ πόρνας ἐπισπώμενος, μαθητὴν οὐκ ἴσχυσεν ἐπισπάσασθαι; Ἴσχυεν ἐπισπάσασθαι τὸν μαθητὴν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἠβούλετο ἀνάγκῃ ποιῆσαι καλὸν, οὐδὲ βίᾳ ἑλκύσαι πρὸς ἑαυτόν. Τότε πορευθείς. Ἔχει τι καὶ τοῦτο οὐ μικρὸν θεώρημα, τὸ, Πορευθείς· οὐ γὰρ μετακληθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν ἀρχιερέων, οὐκ ἀναγκασθεὶς οὐδὲ βιασθεὶς, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ καὶ οἴκοθεν ἔτεκε τὸν δόλον, καὶ τὴν γνώμην ἐξήγαγε ταύτην, οὐδένα ἔχων σύμβουλον τῆς πονηρίας ταύτης. Τότε πορευθεὶς εἷς τῶν δώδεκα. Τί ἐστιν, Εἷς τῶν δώδεκα; Καὶ τοῦτο μεγίστην αὐτῷ δείκνυσιν οὖσαν τὴν κατηγορίαν τῷ εἰπεῖν, Εἷς τῶν δώδεκα. Καὶ γὰρ ἦσαν ἕτεροι μαθηταὶ τῷ Ἰησοῦ ἑβδομήκοντα τὸν ἀριθμόν· ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνοι τὰ δευτερεῖα εἶχον, ἐκεῖνοι οὐ τοσαύτης ἀπέλαυον τῆς τιμῆς, οὐδὲ τοσαύτης μετεῖχον τῆς παῤῥησίας, οὐκ ἐκοινώνησαν ἀποῤῥήτων τοσοῦτον, ὡς οἱ δώδεκα. Οὗτοι μάλιστα ἦσαν δόκιμοι, καὶ ὁ περὶ τὸν βασιλέα χορὸς οὗτος ἦν· αὕτη ἡ συμμορία ἡ περὶ τὸν διδάσκαλον, καὶ ἀπὸ ταύτης ἐξεπήδησεν ὁ Ἰούδας. Ἵν' οὖν μάθῃς ὅτι οὐ μαθητὴς ἁπλῶς αὐτὸν προὔδωκεν, ἀλλὰ τῆς δοκιμωτάτης τάξεως εἷς, διὰ τοῦτό φησιν· Εἷς τῶν δώδεκα. Καὶ οὐκ αἰσχύνεται ὁ ταῦτα γράψας Ματθαῖος. Τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐκ αἰσχύνεται; Ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι πανταχοῦ μετὰ ἀληθείας πάντα φθέγγονται, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀποκρύπτονται, οὐδὲ τὰ δοκοῦντα εἶναι ἐπονείδιστα. Ταῦτα γὰρ τὰ δοκοῦντα εἶναι ἐπονείδιστα, ταῦτα δείκνυσι τοῦ ∆εσπότου τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν· ὅτι τὸν προδότην, τὸν λῃστὴν, τὸν κλέπτην, τοσούτων ἠξίωσεν ἀγαθῶν, καὶ μέχρι τῆς ἐσχάτης διαβαστάζων αὐτὸν διετέλει τῆς ὥρας· καὶ γὰρ ἐνουθέτει καὶ παρῄνει καὶ πάντα τρόπον ἐπεμελεῖτο. Εἰ δὲ