The lively communion of Jesus’ disciples was shaken over a few days by two frightful events. The disciples were moved by the death of their Master on the cross to redeem all men, which was painful to them. At the same time they were shocked by Judas’ suicide in his despair because of his betrayal. The first had all the fullness of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily, and the other was possessed with the devil that entered him. Dear brother, choose your way. Do you want to sacrifice your life for the sake of God’s Spirit for many sinners, or do you want to die sinful, hopeless, and afraid of God’s angry judgment?
The sin of Judas made a vacancy in the college of the apostles. They were ordained twelve by the Lord, in order to preach the twelve tribes of their nation, whom the Lord will judge in the Last Day if they did not believe. So they met and elected one of Jesus’ faithful followers, an eyewitness to take Judas’ place. They gathered about a hundred and twenty men who knew each other, met for prayer, and waited for the Promise of the Father. What a wonderful meeting!
Peter stood in the midst of them to preside over the meeting. They all knew him as Christ’s denier, and showed his denial frankly in the four gospels, but they also knew that Jesus forgave his disciple, who showed a contrite spirit, all his sins, and confirmed him as their leader after his resurrection from the dead. That was a notable proof of the presence of the spirit of the truth in the primitive church. They did not flatter the denial of the greatest of them, nor did they pass over it. At the same time the spirit of love became clear in them for they accepted to entrust him with the flock. How astonishing! There he is standing in the midst of the big meeting, without any complex. He might have said: “I am sure that Christ has received me greatest sinner, cleansed me from all my sins, and commissioned me failing disciple to serve him.” Peter did not speak in his own name any further, nor did he work for himself, but all that he worked and spoke was for the glorification of his living Lord.
Peter did not speak as one that had supremacy over the rest, like a bishop, or a pope, but stood up and spoke as an elder speaks to other elders. He called the men brothers, for God is their Father. There is no greater title in heaven and on earth than this unique title, “brother” as a token of the relationship in the family of God.
The disciples, praying and meditating, thought of the end of Judas who became a guide to God’s enemies, having artfully delivered Christ the righteous to the hands of the unjust. The disciples remembered the days they spent in company with Judas within Jesus’ fellowship. Judas was an innermost being of the kingdom of God. He received from his Lord a call, an office, and an authority, and served God with the other disciples for a period of time.
However, this Judas loved money, and according to Luke he did not refuse the bribe of iniquity, but received it at last. He wanted to provide security to his disturbed soul, and therefore he bought a wide field outside the city. But he had no rest, having felt in his conscience the blows of God’s whip, and become hopeless in the devil’s insinuations that accused him. Consequently, he ran and hanged himself, killing himself. The rope with which he hanged himself split apart, and his half hanged body fell from the tree to a pointed rock, which entered the body and caused his belly to burst open, and all his bowels to gush out. Luke writes like a physician, understanding from his experiences how such a terrible scene appeared.
All the dwellers in Jerusalem heard this report, and felt the wrath of God against this traitor. They kept away from this field, for it was wet with the accursed blood.
God had already known the sin of betrayal in the wicked one, and warned him several times in his sermons, but the warning was useless, for Judas preferred the power of money to secure his life rather than the power of his living Lord, and therefore he lost both his heavenly portion and his earthly field. His office before God was transferred to another, and his newly bought house became desolate. Its walls were demolished, and bats settled in it.
The disciples were profoundly frightened, for in the Last Supper they were not sure of themselves, when Christ revealed to them that one of them would betray him. Each one of them saw himself fit for it. Moreover, in their common prayers they realized that the Spirit of God had foreseen the way of the betrayer. Yet the Holy One did not lead the traitor to his sin, for the Lord has endowed every man with free will, and no man is forced into sin. Judas hardened his heart toward the love of Christ, and he died in God’s curse. This is what the Holy Spirit foretold one thousand years ago through David (Psalms 69: 26; 109: 8).
Dear brother, do not harden your heart against the drawing of God’s Spirit, but agree that the Holy One should free you from the love of money, and guide you to sacrifice and to serve him. Do not seek riches, wealth, honor, dignity, and authority for yourself, but seek humility, contentment, meekness, and simplicity, as Jesus and his disciples lived poor in money and rich in the Spirit of God.