The One Who was betrayed saved the whole world, while the one who betrayed Him lost his own soul. And the One Who was betrayed is seated at the right hand of the Father, while the one who betrayed Him is now in hades. Seeing him, Jesus was troubled and said: "One of you shall betray Me" (John 13). Oh, how great is our Master's compassion! The One Who was betrayed grieved for the one who betrayed Him. Why was He disheartened? In order to show His tender love and, at the same time, to teach us that it is altogether fitting to mourn, not for the one enduring evil, but for the one committing it. Committing evil is worse than enduring it; or rather, enduring evil is not evil, but committing it is evil. While enduring evil procures us the Kingdom of Heaven, committing evil results in punishment for us. For "Blessed", says the Lord, "are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matt. 5). Do you see how enduring evil has as its recompense and reward the Kingdom of Heaven? Why then, you say, was He Who won over harlots not able to win over His disciple? He had the power to win over His disciple, but He did not wish to make him good by force or to forcibly draw him to Himself. "Then he went." In this "went" there is not a little matter for contemplation: for he was not summoned by the chief priests, he was not constrained or forced. Rather, of himself, he gave birth to his intention and brought forth his treachery, without any counsellor in his wickedness.

"What will ye give me and I will deliver Him unto you?" Tell me, did Christ teach you that? Did He not restrain in advance your covetous intention, saying: "Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses" (Matt. 10). "What will ye give me and I will deliver Him unto you?" Oh, what madness! Tell me, for what? With what small or great accusation do you betray the Teacher? That He granted you power over demons? That He granted you the power to put an end to sicknesses? To cleanse lepers? To raise the dead? That He brought an end to the tyranny of death? For these benefactions you give this recompense? Oh, what madness! Or rather, what covetousness! For it is covetousness that produced all this evil: lusting after money, he betrayed the Teacher. Such is the root of this evil; worse than the Devil, it excites to frenzy the souls it has conquered and renders them oblivious to everyone, both to themselves and to their neighbours, as well as to the laws of nature, driving them out of their minds and making them insane. See how much it cast out from the soul of Judas: the fellowship, the intimacy, the common table, the miracles, the instruction, the counsel, the admonitions - all of that was then cast into oblivion by covetousness. Thus Paul rightly said: "The love of money is the root of all evil" (1 Tim. 6).