The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 513

ing out hie purpose, rrnd mnking of it some introduced into tho Meembly. No wonder pecuniary !!"Rin. We e.re not to suppose " they were glad" (1\la.rk xiv. 11); hero WM that Ibis miserable man sank all at once to a solution of the contempb1.ted difficulty; this clcptb of iniqnity. Nemo repente fit they need have no fee.r of a rising in favour tu,rp;•~imi,8. Though the descent to Aver- of Christ: if among his chosen followers nu, be easy, it. is gra,1usl; it bas ite steps some were disaffected, e.nd one woe ready to nnd pauses, its allurements and checks. bct.rny him, they might work their will, Modern criticism hae endeavoured to mini- when he was once quietly apprehended, mize the crime of Judae, or even to regard without any danger of rescue and disturb- him as e. hero mieunderstoocl; but the facts e.noe (see on eh. xxvii. S). are entirely in favour of the traditional Ver. 15.-Whe.t will ye give me, and I ,·icw. We can trnce the path by which will deliver him unto yon 1 There is no the apostle developed into the trnitor, by disguise in this vile question. Judas un- l!tuclying the Lints which the Gospels afford. blushingly reveals bis bnse motive in offer- He was probably at first fairly sincere in ing such e. bo.rgnin; e.nd to enhanoe its t<ttaching himself to Christ's company. value be, as it were, forces bis personality Being a man of bnsinese capacity and skill into prominence; as if he he.d said, "I who i.n the mnungement of money matters, he e.ru bis trusted adherent, I who know all bis wns appoiute,l treasurer of the little funds he.unts and habits, will do this thing." nt the disposal of Christ and hie followers. They covenanted with him ; rrr'rf/rra.11 a~,,-'I' : Hn.lf-lrnarted and self-seeking, bis under- they weighed unto;him. The verb might mean taking this office we., a snare to which he "appointed;" constituerunt ei (Vulgate); easily fell a victim. lle bcg,rn by petty e.ud St. Mark bas " promised,'' St. Luke peculations, "hich were not discovered by "covenanted ; " but there is no doubt that bis comrades (John xii. 6), though he must some money was e.t once paid to Judas, as often have felt an uneasy apprehension the.t be seems to have returned it (eh; xxvii· 3) his Master saw th.rongb bim,e.nd that many witliout e.uy fnrther interview ,with the of his warnings were directed at him (see Sanhedrin, though they may have given .John ,·i. G-!, 70, 71). Tllis feeling lessened him a portion at once, e.nd sent him the tl,e love for Jesns, though it did not drive balance on the snccess of hie attempt. him to open apostasy. He bad admitted the Thirty pieces of silver; -rp,il1to11,,-a. li:prvp,a.. <lemon of covetonsne;;s to his breast, and he Thirty shekels of the ea.actuary, equivalent now adhered to Christ for the hope of se.tis- to £3 15s. of our money. This was the legal fyi11g greed and worldly ambition. The price of a slave gored by an ox (Exod. xxi~ teaching and miracles of Christ had no 32), and must have been considered by the marked inlluence on such a disposition, traitor but e. poor reward for his crime. He aiftened not bis hard heart, effected no found the rulers as cov~toue as himself, and change in his etil e.nd scl.li.sb desires. And disposed to treat both him and hie Master when he saw bis hopes disappointed, when with the ntmost contempt. Christ he.d taken he heard Christ's announcement of his upon him the form of e. bond-servant, and l!pCcdy death, which bis knowledge of !be wne here reckoned o.e such. The trause.ction· rulers' animosity rendered only too certain, bad been typically shadowed forth when. his ouly feeling wae hatred and disgust. another Judas sold his brother Joseph for T1,e transient expectations raised by the twenty pieces of silver (Gen. xxxvii. 27, 28): triu,npbal entry were not fnlfilled; there when Abithophel gave counsel age.inst was no aesu.mption of the earthly con- David, hie· familiar friend (2 Se.m. xvl.); and queror's part, there were no rewards for when Zeclie.ri&h wrote," I said unto them,. Christ's followers, notbi..ug but enmity and If ye think good, give me my price; and if threatening danger on every side. Jndas, not, forbear. So they weighed (trr'T71rra11•. fteeing e.11 this, perceiving that no worldly Septuagint] for my price thirty pieces of sdYaute.ge would be gained by fidelity to silver" (Zech. xi. 12). St. Matthew a.lone t!i,; losing side, ootermined to make what of the evangelists mention~ the exe.ct price prufiL he could under present circumstances. a.greed upon. It may have come nature.Uy Not with the mistaken idea. of forcing to the "publican" to obderve the pecuniary Christ to declare Limself, and to put bim- aspect of the tre.nR&etion. . l!elf at the head of e. popular movement, nor Ver. 16.-From that time. As eoon a.Ii with any noti,,n of Christ miraculously be had me.de hie bargain. Opportunity. ■aviug himself from hie enemies' h1i.nds, but " In tb0 absence of the multitude," St. Luh;e l!imply from sor<lid love of go.in, be me.de adds. The Sanhedrin no longer thought his infamous offer to the chief priests. It it neoesse.ry to wait for the termination of "Was just wLen they were in perplexity, and the festinl (ver. 5). Judas would enabl& had determined on nothing except that the them to seize Obrist in his most secret arrest e.nd the condemnation were not to retirement, and at the moet opportun & tal:,· place during the fee.et, that Jucla,; was mom,,nt. 011. xxv1. 1-75.J TUE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 5HJ