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"From the beginning the Master fully understood the weakness of this apostle and well knew the dangers of admitting him to fellowship. But it is the nature of the Sons of God to give every created being a full and equal chance for salvation and survival...... The door of eternal life is wide open to all; "whosoever will may come"; there are no restrictions or qualifications save the faith of the one who comes." (1566)
"Jesus loved and trusted Judas even as he loved and trusted the other apostles, but Judas failed to develop loyal trust and to experience wholehearted love in return..... Judas craved worldly honor in his mind and grew to love this desire with his whole heart; the other apostles likewise craved this same worldly honor in their minds, but with their hearts they loved Jesus and were doing their best to learn to love the truths which he taught them." (1926)
Many times Jesus warned Judas that he was slipping, "but divine warnings are usually useless in dealing with embittered human nature. Jesus did everything possible, consistent with man's moral freedom, to prevent Judas's choosing to go the wrong way." (1567)
From some of the conversations quoted in The Urantia Book, Jesus did not mince words when giving his advice. For example, when Judas went to Jesus to complain about Nathaniel, Jesus said:
"Judas, watch carefully your steps; do not overmagnify your office. Who of us is competent to judge his brother? ... Go then, Judas, and do well that which has been intrusted to you but leave Nathaniel, your brother, to give account of himself to God." (1558)
Despite what appeared to be the futility of these warnings, Jesus still continued:
"Judas, I have loved you and have prayed that you would love your brethren. Be not weary in well doing; and I would warn you to beware the slippery paths of flattery and the poison darts of ridicule." (1897)
Jesus advised Andrew to continue "to go on placing the utmost confidence in this apostle" (1750), the best he could suggest as a way of handling Judas' growing resentment.
Despite his love and trust in Judas, it was not reciprocated and the "accumulated hate, hurt, malice, prejudice, jealousy, and revenge of a lifetime," (1567) mobilized into a determination to "get even" after his public protest at the "waste" of incense by Mary "was so sweepingly disallowed by Jesus right there in the hearing of all." (1567) And so, "he crystallized all the evil of his nature upon the one innocent person in all the sordid drama of his unfortunate life just because Jesus happened to be the chief actor in the episode which marked his passing from the progressive kingdom of light into that self-chosen domain of darkness." (1567, 1879). "And every mortal man knows full well how love, even when once genuine, can, through disappointment, jealousy, and long-continued resentment, be eventually turned into actual hate." (1926)
At the last supper Jesus made a final appeal to Judas:
"but it was of no avail. Warning, even when administered in the most tactful manner and conveyed in the most kindly spirit, as a rule, only intensifies hatred and fires the evil determination to carry out to the full one's own selfish projects, when love is once really dead." (1941)
Jesus acknowledged Judas' final decision: "What you have decided to do, do quickly." (1941). And when Judas greeted him in the garden later that evening: "placing a kiss upon his brow, said, `Hail, Master and Teacher' .... Jesus said, "Friend, is it not enough to do this! Would you even betray the Son of Man with a kiss?" (1974)
Jealousy - a very powerful emotion! In combination with Judas' other attributes which he subconsciously nurtured until they blossomed into "wicked thoughts" of revenge and disloyalty in his conscious being. He lost objectivity, and initiated the action which led to his holding himself responsible for the "blood of an innocent man" - the man who loved him so much more than he chose ever to love himself.
Jealousy: a spiritual poison which attacks and destroys the heart!
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