Jesus reproved him, saying, "You have never lacked anything hitherto and, believe me, that what is necessary will not fail you in time to come."
Judas said, "But, master, when thou art no longer with us our good friends will soon draw back, and then we shall be left in sore distress."
Jesus said unto him, "Friend Judas, beware lest thou fall into temptation."
The other disciples who had listened to this conversation then interrupted, saying altogether, "Judas, trouble not the master so much."
Judas retorted, "Who will take thought if I do not? Have I not been appointed by the master to carry the bag?"
"Thou hast," said Jesus, "but I fear——"
"And I also fear," interrupted Judas, "that soon it will be empty and remain so."
Then Jesus went close up to him and said gravely and gently, "Judas, forget not thy warning. Arise, now let us go hence, I desire to be in the house of my Father."
Jesus then, followed by his disciples, excepting Judas, passed on to the city.
Judas, being left alone, said to himself, "Shall I follow him any longer. I do not much care to do so. The master's conduct to me is very inexplicable. His great deeds allowed us to hope that he would restore again the kingdom to Israel. But he does not seize the opportunities that offer themselves, and now he constantly talks of parting and dying, and puts us off with mysterious words about a future which lies too far off in the dim distance for me. I am tired of hoping and waiting. I can see very well, that with him there is no prospect of anything but continued poverty and humiliation,—and instead of the sharing, as we expected, in his glorious kingdom, we shall perhaps be persecuted and thrown into prison with him. I will draw back. It was a good thing that I was always prudent and cautious, and have now and then laid aside a trifle out of the bag in case of need. How useful I should find those 300 pence now which the foolish woman threw away on a useless mark of respect. If, as seems likely, the society is about to dissolve, they would have remained in my hands—then I should have been safe for a long while to come. As it is, I must consider the question, where and how I can find subsistence."