The bargain was struck. Judas, the treasurer,
put the coins in the common purse, and thought:
If we had only had this sooner. And now it’s
hardly any use to us. Then a troop of soldiers
placed him in their midst, and, carrying torches,
the procession marched out of the town and down into
the Valley of Kedron. They crossed the brook,
and at the entrance to the garden gate intended to
proceed to Bethany. But a swift, curious glance
of Judas observed, by the glimmer of the moon, figures
lying on the ground under a bush. He stopped,
looked, and recognised the brothers. He signed
to the soldiers to enter the garden quietly.
To walk quietly is the way of traitors, not of warriors.
The sound of marching and the clash of swords woke
the disciples. A very different awakening from
the gentle bidding of the Master! They jumped
up and hastened to where He was kneeling.
Judas came forward and said: “Did I frighten
you?” Then he went up to
Jesus: “You are still awake, Master?”
He bent down in greeting, kissed
Him lightly on the cheek, and thought in tremulous
expectation: Messiah
King, now reveal Thyself!
Then the soldiers rushed up. They had been joined
by a mob armed with sticks and cudgels, just as when
notorious criminals are taken. Jesus went forward
a few steps to meet them and offered His hands to them
to be bound. John threw himself between, but
he was dashed to the ground. James struggled
with two of the soldiers; Peter snatched the sword
of a third, and hacked at one of the Temple guards
so that his ear flew from his body.
“What are you doing?” Jesus called to
the disciple. “If you interfere they will
kill you. You will conquer not with the sword,
but with the word. But you, O people of Jerusalem;
you treat Me as shamefully as if I were a murderer.
And only five days ago you led Me into the city with
palms and psalms. What have I done since then?
I sat in the Temple among you. Why did you
not take Me then?”
They mocked at Him. “Isn’t to-day
soon enough for you? Can’t you wait any
longer for your ladder to heaven? Patience, it
is set up already.”
When the disciples heard such allusions, and saw the
Master calmly surrendering Himself, they drew back.
The sticks and spears clashed together, the crowd
jogged along, the torches flickered, and so the procession
went up to the city.
Judas stood behind the trunk of a tree, looking through
the branches at the dread procession, and his eyes
started from his head in terror.
