Long Lost

Long Lost

            Who can say what documents have been lost to the passage of time? Such is the case of a parchment that was found in a cardboard box at an Egyptian garage about 1970. The box had largely deteriorated as had its contents. The artifact came into the possession of antique dealer, Dimaratos Tchacos. Finally, he became concerned with the advanced state of deterioration of the manuscript and donated it to Maecenas Foundation for Ancient Art in Basal, Switzerland in the hope that some preservation could be done. They found a leather-bound document deteriorated to over 1000 pieces. It was thought to have originally been written in Greek, but later translated to the Coptic language. It was carbon dated to 280 AD. It was in poor condition, but there were areas substantially intact. The reconstructed document was translated into English by the National Geographic Foundation and released in 2006.  

            It is the story of Judas Iscariot. Though incompletely reconstructed, in many ways it reinforces the traditional Bible.  It attempts to answer some questions that have endured for millennia.  Among those, can there be redemption for Judas’ betrayal?

            The story specially speaks to the weeks before the betrayal. The disciples demonstrated a misunderstanding of Jesus’ coming kingdom and were confusing an earthly kingdom with a heavenly one. Jesus became frustrated with their behaviors. According to the text, Jesus had several discussions with Judas, counseling and condoning his actions before the next Passover. 

My fictional account of the post crucifixion encounter of Judas and Jesus follows.  

Judas

He felt as though he had walked for ages. The air was cool for a Jerusalem evening, but the sky this evening was totally black without stars or moonlight. Earlier in the evening he had seen the Pharisee who he had delt with previously. He regretted his actions of the early morning and tried desperately to undo the damage. The demeanor of the Pharisee had changed drastically.  Instead of a valued conspirator, he was now treated as a Leper.  

            “You’ve been paid. Do you want more? Take your thirty pieces and begone with you.”

            He took his meager pouch of thirty pieces of silver and threw them on the temple steps, but he still felt the weight of the empty pouch tied to his belt. It made him wretch. Why had he done it? He loved the master and had been loved as no other had ever loved him.  

            In truth, he had never fit in with the other apostles. Their fawning over the miraculous acts of Jesus and over his consuming goodness had been genuine. Judas had also been enchanted by this Godly man. Jesus even paid personal attention to Judas in recent days. His statements regarding a special task, ‘a fulfillment of prophesy,’ for Judas were difficult to understand. 

But at some point, he became more of an outsider. Jesus had always loved the needy, the sick and infirm. He had repeatedly given all they had, every coin, to those unfortunates. That always exasperated Judas. As the treasurer of the group, he was frequently in charge of a pouch with no money, but a coin or two would usually turn up. The poverty of the apostles was of no concern to Jesus.

            And now Judas had rejected the love of Jesus and his followers. The Pharisees had used him and discarded him. Now he was a man with no God and no future. All that was left was…

            The deserted field on the outskirts of Jerusalem was littered with refuse from the city. The continual consumption of clay by potters had left the land pitted. The rope he found was adequate. The tree was a leafless derelict that fitted his feeling of dejection and guilt. Judas stood on a branch and threw the rope over a stout limb above his head. He tightened the knot about his neck and with one last breath he stepped off the branch.

            The rope tightened about his neck, and his consciousness began to fade. He saw the empty pouch lying on the ground below, and a rivulet of his excrement defacing the hollow of his pouch. His last sight was of a small boy who silently watched the last moments of Judas’ life and ran off. With only slight struggle, Judas’ vision faded as did his life.

            The small boy ran home, but was too frightened to describe what he had seen till the next morning. His parents reported the death and turned the pouch over to the Pharisees who wouldn’t touch the corpse for fear of being defiled. Later, the potter’s field was purchased for a cemetary site. It was called The Field of Blood. Judas’ corpse was left to decay until it dropped and split open on the ground.

            Judas’ afterlife was a question.  His body was gone, but his essence, soul if you will, persisted. Sight—he was aware of his surroundings, but not with sight. There were other souls about him, and he could sense their deep anguish as they could likely sense his. He had no body. He couldn’t hear. Yet, he somehow sensed sound and deep suffering. While there were some who cursed the circumstances. Others accepted an eternal fate of punishment.

            Judas sensed another presence. This was not the woeful dejected mourning of a myriad of sorrowful souls, but a warm, positive vibration. That was a strange thought for a soul without senses, but it seemed true. It seemed to be directed to Judas. What could it be? Then a voice--not real, but still it was unmistakable came through. It was Jesus!

            “Judas, I come to you.”

            “Lord, why for me?  I betrayed you, I sent you to your death.”

            “Remember, my father chose you before you were born. Then I chose you. I loved you so much, as I did all my followers. I chose you to be the one.”

            Judas answered in the extra sensory conversation. “Why me Lord? Why choose me. Why would I betray you?”

            “Judas, remember the prophets of old when they said that even in your mother’s womb God knew you. I knew every thought in your mind and every hair on your head (Jeramiah 1:5).  And I knew when I chose you, that you would one day betray me. That was your purpose on Earth. I was sent to be a sacrifice for all mankind. I was sent to abolish the need for sacrifices by becoming the ultimate sacrifice. You see, you are the linchpin that was necessary for the new covenant. Your actions made the connection between man and God possible.  I loved you as I have loved all my apostles and all mankind, but could not show that love for fear that you might not complete your task. And now I forgive you.  I forgive you, Judas, even though I know you can’t forgive yourself.”

            “Lord, how can you forgive me for selling you, God’s only son to your enemy?”

            “Do you remember, when Peter asked me how often to forgive one who offends me?”

            “Yes, even now I remember your comment to not forgive seven times, but seven times seventy. You meant total permanent forgiveness. (Matthew 18:21-22)”

            “Yes, and now Judas, I know of your contrition for my betrayal and I forgive you. Since I have not yet arisen, we are not yet under the new covenant. I told a repentant thief during my crucifixion that he would be with me in Paradise, and I give you the same pardon (Luke 23:39-41). I will see you in Paradise. Now I must attend to those unfortunates who have not received the message of God and his immense power (1 Peter 3:18-20).”  

            And so, when we cross that river and reach the end of our Earthly existence, may we be honored to face the Almighty on his throne. In the jubilation of that experience, embrace the apostles who so faithfully spread the new covenant between man and God, but perhaps you should give some attention to Judas, whose actions on that night before Passover aided Christ’s ultimate triumph.