“Leave him alone, leave him alone! He is possessed with a devil.”
Judas waited until they had quite done, and then cried out in a loud voice:
“Hail, ye eyes of Judas Iscariot! Ye have just seen the cold-blooded murderers. Lo! Where is Jesus? I ask you, where is Jesus?”
There was something compelling in the hoarse voice of Judas, and Thomas replied obediently—
“You know yourself, Judas, that our Master was crucified yesterday.”
“But how came you to permit it? Where was your love? Thou, Beloved Disciple, and thou, Rock, where were you all when they were crucifying your Friend on the tree?”
“What could we do, judge thou?” said Thomas, with a gesture of protest.
“Thou asketh that, Thomas? Very well!” and Judas threw his head back, and fell upon him angrily. “He who loves does not ask what can be done—he goes and does it—he weeps, he bites, he throttles the enemy, and breaks his bones! He, that is, who loves! If your son were drowning would you go into the city and inquire of the passers by: ‘What must I do? My son is drowning!’ No, you would rather throw yourself into the water and drown with him. One who loved would!”
Peter replied grimly to the violent speech of Judas:
“I drew a sword, but He Himself forbade.”