Today’s reading was about Judas taking thirty pieces of silver to betray Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 26:14-16, Mark 14:10-11, and Luke 22:1-6. You really have to look hard to the symbol to get what it is…looking inside a money bag at the silver coins, (and there really are 30 tiny felt circles!). Personally, I think there must have been a better way to design this one, but I didn’t have the energy to create something better myself.

It’s interesting to note that this story doesn’t include the actual betrayal of Jesus in the garden, or the events beforehand at the Last Supper…it’s only about Judas cutting a deal with the Chief Priests, and coming up with a plan to hand Jesus over to them. It’s also interesting that Matthew is the only Gospel that really focuses on Judas doing so in order to get something in return…the other two Gospels focus more on the fact that because he came up with a plan, the Chief Priests were so happy that they wanted to give him something. It does make you wonder…did he do it for the money, or was the money just a nice bonus? Then again, we know from John 12:4-8 that Judas was a thief, and obsessed with money, (not to mention the “treasurer” for the disciples), so it’s certainly not hard to believe that money was the motivating factor in his betrayal!