Among the disciples of Christ, who are so open, understandable at first glance, Judas from Cariot is distinguished not only by notoriety, but also by the duality of appearance: his face is as if sewn from two halves. One side of the face is continuously movable, dotted with wrinkles, with a black sharp eye, the other is deathly smooth and seems disproportionately large from an eye wide open, blind, and covered with an eyesore.
When he appeared, none of the apostles noticed. What caused Jesus to draw him closer to himself and what attracts Judas to this Master are also unanswered questions. Peter, John, Thomas look - and are not able to comprehend this closeness of beauty and ugliness, meekness and vice - the closeness of Christ and Judah sitting next to the table.
The apostles asked Judas many times what compels him to do evil deeds, he replies with a grin: each person sinned at least once. The words of Judas are almost similar to what Christ tells them: no one has the right to judge anyone. And the apostles loyal to the Master humble their anger at Judah: “It's nothing that you are so ugly. Our fishing nets are not so ugly! ”
“Tell me, Judas, and your father was a good man?” “And who was my father?” The one who secured me with a rod? Or a devil, a goat, a rooster? Can Judas know everyone with whom his mother shared a bed? ”
Judah’s response shocks the apostles: whoever glorifies his parents is doomed to perish! “Tell me, are we good people?” - “Ah, they tempt poor Judah, offend Judah!” - the red-haired man from Kariot grimaces.
In one village they are accused of stealing a kid, knowing that Judas walks with them. In another village, after Christ preached, they wanted to stone him and his disciples; Judas rushed into the crowd, shouting that the Master was not at all possessed by a demon, that He was just a liar, loving money, the same as he, Judas, and the crowd resigned: “These newcomers are not worthy to die at the hands of an honest man!”
Jesus leaves the village in anger, moving away from him in great strides; the disciples march after him at a respectful distance, cursing Judas. “Now I believe that your father is the devil,” Thomas throws in his face. Fools! He saved their life, but once again they did not appreciate it ...
Somehow at the halt the apostles decided to have fun: by measuring strength, they raise stones from the ground - who is the biggest? - and tossed into the abyss. Judah picks up the heaviest piece of rock. His face shines with triumph: now it is clear to everyone that he, Judas, is the strongest, most beautiful, the best of the twelve. “Lord,” Peter prays to Christ, “I do not want Judas to be the strongest.” Help me beat him! ” “And who will help Iscariot?” - Jesus replies sadly.
Judas, appointed by Christ to keep all their savings, withholds a few coins - this is revealed. Pupils in indignation. Judas is brought to Christ - and He again intervenes for him: “No one should consider how much money our brother has appropriated. Such reproaches offend him. ” In the evening at dinner, Judah is cheerful, but it is not so much reconciliation with the apostles that pleases him, but the fact that the Master again singled him out of the general series: “How can one not be a cheerful person who has been kissed so much for theft today? If I had not stolen, would John have known what love for one's neighbor is? Is it not fun to be the hook on which one hangs the damp virtue to dry, and the other the mind spent by the moth? ”
The mournful last days of Christ are drawing near. Peter and John are debating which of them is more worthy in the kingdom of heaven to sit at the right hand of the Teacher - the cunning Judas points to everyone his primacy. And then to the question, how does he still think in good conscience, he proudly answers: “Of course, I!” The next morning he goes to the high priest Anna, offering to bring Nazareth to justice. Anna is well aware of Judah's reputation and drives him away for several days in a row; but, fearing rebellion and interference by the Roman authorities, contemptuously offers Judas thirty pieces of silver for the life of the Master. Judas is indignant: “You do not understand what they sell to you! He is kind, heals the sick, he is loved by the poor! This price - it turns out that for a drop of blood you give only half an obol, for a drop of sweat - a quarter obol ... And his cries? And the moans? And the heart, the mouth, the eyes? You want to rob me! ” “Then you won't get anything.” Hearing such an unexpected refusal, Judas is transformed: he must not give up the right to the life of Christ to anyone, and there will surely be a villain ready to betray Him for an obol or two ...
Weasel surrounds Judas the One whom he betrayed in the last hours. Affectionate and helpful he was with the apostles: nothing should interfere with the plan, thanks to which the name of Judah will forever be called in the memory of people along with the name of Jesus! In the Garden of Gethsemane, he kisses Christ with such excruciating tenderness and longing that, if Jesus were a flower, not a drop of dew would fall from His petals, would he not wobble on a thin stalk from a kiss of Judas. Judas walks step by step in the footsteps of Christ, not believing his eyes when they beat him, condemn him, and lead him to Calvary. The night is thickening ... What is night? The sun rises ... What is the sun? No one shouts, “Hosanna!” No one defended Christ with a weapon, although he, Judas, stole two swords from Roman soldiers and brought them to these “faithful disciples”! He alone - to the end, to the last breath - with Jesus! His horror and dream come true. Iskariot rises from his knees at the foot of the cross of Calvary. Who will snatch victory from his hands? May all nations, all future generations come here at this moment - they will find only a shameful pillar and a dead body.
Judah is looking at the earth. How small she suddenly became under his feet! Time no longer goes on its own, neither in front nor in back, but, obediently, moves with all its bulk only with Judah, with his steps on this small earth.
He goes to the Sanhedrin and throws them in the face like a sovereign: “I deceived you! He was innocent and clean! You killed the sinless! “Judas did not betray Him, but you, betrayed eternal shame!”
On this day, Judas broadcasts as a prophet, which the cowardly apostles dare not: “I saw the sun today - it looked at the earth with horror, asking:“ Where are people here? ”Scorpions, animals, stones - all echoed this issue. If you tell the sea and mountains how much people appreciated Jesus, they will leave their places and fall upon your heads! .. ”
“Which of you,” Iscariot addresses the apostles, “will go with me to Jesus?” You are scared! You say His will was there? Do you explain your cowardice by the fact that He commanded you to carry His word on earth? But who will believe His word in your cowardly and unfaithful lips? ”
Judah “rises to the mountain and tightens the noose around his neck in front of the whole world in sight, completing the plan. All over the world the news about Judas the traitor scatters. Not faster and not quieter, but along with the time this news continues to fly ... "
