I have sinned by betraying innocent blood

 When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death.  And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood."  And they said, "What is that to us?  You see to it!"  Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.  But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood."  And they consulted together and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.  Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.  Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they the children of Israel priced, and gave them for the potter's field, as the LORD directed me." 

- Matthew 27:1–10 

Yesterday we read that Peter sat outside in the courtyard of the house of the high priest, as Jesus was on trial inside with the whole Council present.  And a servant girl came to Peter, saying, "You also were with Jesus of Galilee."  But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you are saying."  And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, "This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth."  But again he denied with an oath, "I do not know the Man!"  And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, "Surely you are also one of them, for your speech betrays you."  Then he began to curse and swear, saying, "I do not know the Man!"  Immediately a rooster crowed.  And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  So he went out and wept bitterly.

 When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death.  And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.  Although they have condemned Jesus for blasphemy (see Wednesday's reading), the Jewish leaders are prohibited from carrying out a capital punishment.  Only the Roman authority can do that.  Under the religious Law, blasphemers received the death penalty (Leviticus 24:16).   As we will see, they will have to make a different accusation before Pilate, for a severe violation of Roman law.

Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood."  And they said, "What is that to us?  You see to it!"  Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.  But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood."  And they consulted together and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.  Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.  Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they the children of Israel priced, and gave them for the potter's field, as the LORD directed me."  My study bible compares Judas with Peter.  Peter repented in his sorrow (26:75; see yesterday's reading above).   But by contrast, Judas is remorseful, but does not repent.  My study bible says that suicide is not a sign of repentance, but is rather one of being self-absorbed.  There are two accounts of Judas' suicide in the New Testament:  here and in Acts 1:16-19.

If we consider the distinction between the Greek words for repentance and remorse, we find the main difference in these words is in the root of where this "change" takes place.  In the case of repentance, the change in a person occurs in the what is called "nous" (νοῦς) in Greek.  This is a word translated as "mind," but it does not have the purely intellectual orientation we might consider in modern thought.  This word for repentance, metanoia/μετανοια, which literally means "change of mind," indicates a difference in orientation of the conviction of the heart, the fullness of the inner being, awareness, and purpose.  In the word for remorse (metamelomai/μεταμέλομαι), the change that occurs is of the emotions, in contrast to the mind.  Therefore purpose or inner orientation on Judas' part -- whether that be resentment toward Jesus or greed for the money (as is suggested in the story of Jesus' rebuke to Judas for his condemnation of Mary of Bethany, see John 12:1-8), or any other speculation as to his motive -- remains virtually unchanged here, or perhaps neglected.  At the same time, Judas is remorseful at the recognition and consequences of sin that have been brought upon himself.  In his own words, he says, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood."  Whatever Judas' motivations were toward Jesus and His ministry in the end, he enters into despair at realizing his sin, for the condemned Jesus is an innocent Man.  Judas' return to those who offered such a bargain in the first place, the corrupt religious leadership, guarantees that he will find no mercy nor help, for they themselves are complicit.  He cannot change what he has done by returning the money.  As they say, "What is that to us?  You see to it!"  It is entirely left to Judas himself to cope with the personal consequences.   In Judaism repentance was central to the faith and its practices.  The Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, is a day for repentance of one's sins before and against God.  In terms of sin against another person in community, measures were to be taken to restore that which one has taken from another fellow Jew (or neighbor):  whether the "debt" be through slander or thievery or another device.  In the case of slander, an apology was necessary; in the case of stealing, restitution.  In we look closely, for example, at the story of Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector, who repents before Christ as He travels through Jericho, Zacchaeus' repentance includes the following promise:  "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."  (See Luke 19:10.)   But in this understanding of the need for restoration, what could Judas return to Christ once Christ has been handed over to the Roman state, for punishment via the Gentiles?  How can Judas "see to" his sin and remorse, as the chief priests and elders tell him?  In this scenario of the sin of innocent blood, how is recompense possible?  The only possible consideration, it seems, would lie outside of the demand for full restitution, which isn't possible.  In this case that would mean turning toward Christ in true repentance, and seeking restoration of communion, including with the disciples.  But we do not know what was possible or how Judas could have found restoration of communion among them.  We only know the weight of his sin.  In any case, in Judas' betrayal of Christ, he has taken a wrong turn, and each successive decision afterward is simply a continuance of the same choice.  Let us consider the importance of our communion with Christ, for it is there we find His life, there we live by His commands, and in His love.  It is there that we are restored when we have been lost.