As we’ve journeyed through the Gospel readings this Holy Week, one figure keeps drawing my attention: Judas.
(I’m not entirely sure what that says about me.)
In John’s Gospel, we’re told of the moment when Mary anoints Jesus’ feet with costly perfume. Judas objects:
“Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages and given to the poor?”
(John 12:5)
John doesn’t leave us guessing about Judas’ intentions. He writes:
“He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions.”
It’s hard to wrap my mind around Judas. On one hand, he was chosen—one of the twelve. He walked with Jesus, heard His voice, witnessed the miracles. And yet… he betrayed Him. Then, in a moment of regret—or was it despair?—he tried to return the silver. And in the end, he took his own life.
Judas is a tortured and tragic figure. But I wonder if this moment with the perfume offers us a glimpse into the beginning of his unraveling.
Sin rarely bursts into our lives fully grown. It festers. It starts small—justified, rationalized, hidden. Maybe Judas began dipping into the money bag out of frustration or entitlement. Maybe he told himself he deserved it. Who knows?
But sin doesn’t stay small. Left unchecked, it spreads—like mold, like rot, like cancer. What begins as a secret indulgence can one day grow into something unthinkable.
It’s easy to look at Judas and think, At least I haven’t done that. I’ve never betrayed a friend like that. I haven’t killed anyone.
And yes, maybe we haven’t. But each of us carries within us sins that fester quietly—resentments, addictions, dishonesty, pride. Things we’ve let live in the corners of our hearts because they seem manageable, or because we’ve grown used to them.
Lent is a time for honest reckoning. A time to ask: What needs to be completely eradicated from my life?
The goal isn’t just sin management. It’s complete eradication. That requires humility, courage, and deep trust in the mercy of God.
Did Judas ever truly trust Jesus with his weakness? We can’t know. But we can choose differently.
We can choose to bring our sins—small or large—into the light. We can choose confession. Repentance. Healing. We can let Christ do what only He can: make us new.