In preparation for my exams in January, I was just walking around the room trying to memorise part of Matthew 26v9 in Greek: ἐδύνατο γὰρ τοῦτο πραθῆναι πολλοῦ καὶ δοθῆναι πτωχοῖς (for this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor).
It strikes me as very interesting that Matthew would show us that, at that moment, the person who looked most concerned for the poor was Judas. He passes himself off as more concerned for the poor than Jesus himself. Judas does that by disparaging a poor person for honouring Jesus as the one who brings spiritual salvation from sin.
Where else do people make themselves look compassionate, and concerned about the poor, by disparaging the focus others have on the spiritual work of Jesus? Wherever we see that, we’re seeing someone who looks like Judas.
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