ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 Monite Me 3, 2021

I have sinned by betraying innocent blood

Kuo u faihala, he kuo u lavaki‘i ke mate ‘a e ta‘ehalaia

 Matiu 27 (Matthew 27)

(v. 3-5) 3 Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” 5 And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.

 (v. 3-5) 3 Pea ‘i he toki vakai ‘e Siutasi ko hono lavaki, tā kuo fakamāumatea ia, na‘e tautea ia ‘e hono loto, ‘o ne momoi ‘a e konga siliva ‘e tolungofulu ki he hou‘eiki taula‘eiki mo e kau mātu‘a, 4 ‘o ne pehē, Kuo u faihala, he kuo u lavaki‘i ke mate ‘a e ta‘ehalaia. Ka ka pehē ‘e kinautolu, He ‘oku mau kau ai? ‘oku ‘iate koe pē ia. 5 Pea ne laku ‘a e ngaahi konga siliva ki he Fale Tapu, ‘o ne foki, pea ne toki ‘alu ‘o no‘o u‘a.

 

*Commentary: David Guzik – Study Guide on Matthew*

 Was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver: Judas was filled with remorse, not repentance. Even though he knew exactly what he did (I have sinned by betraying innocent blood), Judas was more sorry for the result of his sin than for the sin itself. There is a huge difference in being sorry about sin, and being sorry for sin.

 By throwing the money into the temple (the “naos, properly the inner sanctuary, where only the priests were allowed to go” according to France), Judas wanted to implicate the priests in his crime. It was his way of saying, “You also are guilty of this.”

 “The act of a desperate man, determined that they should get the money, and perhaps hoping it might be a kind of atonement for his sin.” (Bruce)

All this happened seeing that He had been condemned. “Perhaps Judas expected that Jesus would miraculously deliver himself from his captors; and when he saw that he was condemned, remorse seized him, and he carried back to his fellow criminals the reward of his infamy.” (Spurgeon)

 Innocent blood: “Judas had been with our Lord in public and in private; and if he could have found a flaw in Christ’s character, this would have been the time to mention it; but even the traitor, in his dying speech, declared that Jesus was ‘innocent.'” (Spurgeon)