Jesus was betrayed for a mere 30 pieces of silver. Judas Iscariot, one of the 12, a man who spent as much time with Jesus as did Peter and the other apostles, handed Jesus over to the Sanhedrin to be tried and executed. The motives of Judas are uncertain, and certainly the Gospel writers do not elaborate or speculate on them in any depth. It is not the why of what Judas does but the overall effect of his actions that are of most significance to us and to our salvation. 

The event, recounted only in Matthew’s Gospel, carries two very important Old Testament allusions and points us in an important direction for our own spiritual journeys. Joseph, the favored son of the patriarch Jacob, was sold into slavery by his brothers at the suggestion of his brother Judah, for 20 pieces of silver. Hence, the tradition of betrayal and disposal for a price already has a parallel from the Torah that stands as an important connector in understanding Jesus in terms of fulfillment. As Joseph was sold into slavery so was Jesus sold to redeem us from slavery. 

The more obvious connection comes from the writing of the prophet Zechariah. As a sign of the breaking of the covenant, the prophet breaks his staff and then is paid his wages – 30 pieces of silver. The Lord instructed: “‘throw it in the treasure, the handsome price at which they valued me.’ So I took the 30 pieces of silver and threw them in the house of the Lord.” 

Hence, what we see here is that it was with a mere 30 pieces of silver that the people of Judah betrayed the covenant with God.

Judas received the same price as did Zechariah and he too flung the money into the temple precincts, symbolically representing the breaking of the covenant between God and the people.  In this sense, then, Judas though deeply distressed and indeed suicidal as a result of his betrayal of Jesus, seems to stand as a sort of prophet, announcing to the world that the covenant is broken.

It is with much irony, then, that we see the reaction of the chief priests to the return of the 30 pieces of silver. They are desperately concerned that the money, bought at the cost of the life of a man, be not then returned to the treasury, as it is “blood money.”  However, they are not at all concerned about ascertaining the innocence of the man whose life was sold to them for the cost.

Once again they show themselves to be concerned with minutiae of the Law while expressing no interest in justice.

How often is it that way with us?  In considering the events of the Passion of Jesus we are always challenged to see in ourselves and our own spiritual journey the many different ways that we stand with those who accuse, beat, deny, betray, flee, mock, cajole, stand mute and acquiesce in this, the darkest moment in the history of the covenant between God and his people. 

Origen, one of the most important of the early Church Fathers, noted in his commentary on Matthew, notes of Judas that: “He was willing to take money in exchange for handing over the Word of God. They do the same thing who accept sensual or worldly goods in exchange for handing over and casting out from their souls the Savior and Word of truth who came to dwell with them.  Indeed, it would be fitting to apply Judas’ example to all who show contempt for the Word of God and betray him, as it were, by committing sin for the sake of money or for any selfish motive.”

From this accusation none of us stand without 30 pieces of silver in our hands. As we move through this holiest of the weeks of the year, we are called to contemplate the depth of our sinfulness, to rid ourselves of the lust for only what the world has to offer to us, so that we might without hesitation, allow our sins to be forgiven by the death of Jesus on the cross.  In this way, our Lenten Sacrifice can indeed become a life-transforming experience.

Dr. Garry Koch is a seminarian for the Diocese of Trenton.