Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
This statement marks a dramatic turning point: while the woman was anointing the Lord with love, Judas is moving toward betrayal. The phrase “at that time” shows the contrast: in one heart devotion was born, in the other, a sale. Judas, though among the chosen, outwardly was a disciple, but inwardly he gave himself over to greed and disappointment. His greed sprang from the love of money, and his disappointment from the fact that Jesus did not match his expectations. He was expecting an earthly king who would establish power and glory, but Jesus was speaking about humility, sacrifice, and the way of the cross. He goes to the chief priests, the very people who were plotting to kill Jesus. With this step Judas crosses a spiritual boundary: he willingly becomes an instrument of evil, as we will see next, by delivering the Lord into their hands. This statement reveals the doubleness of the human heart: in the same setting one person can become an example of faith, and another a symbol of betrayal. Christ does not cease his love even toward Judas, yet Judas himself closes his heart, rejecting the light that could have saved him.