Machingura, The Judas Iscariot episode in the Zimbabwean Religio-Political debate...of his actions as narrated by the gospels? (Mat 27:9; John 17:12). If Judas
was really a traitor in the sense, how could Jesus deliberately choose him
to be one of his disciples? Why didn’t Jesus reform Judas when he be-
came one of his followers? What motivated Judas to behave that way and
what lessons can people learn in uniting contemporary societies basing
on the figure of Judas? The gospels have come up with various reasons
that led Judas to betray Jesus and one of the reasons (that Judas sold
Jesus for love of money) have found meaning and relevance in the Zim-
babwean situation especially when it comes to chastising those deemed
disrespectful of the leadership or the popular view of the majority. That
Judas played a commendable role in the sacrificial death of Jesus be-
comes secondary and what becomes primary is the fate that befell Judas
when he hanged himself as reported by the gospel evangelists. Selling-
out in the Zimbabwean context is negatively regarded and the charac-
terisation of Judas is used to manufacture phobias that benefit those
with levers of power. The political and religious metaphors that one gets
in the daily discourses warn people against selling out. The life-
threatening consequences that befell Judas are postulated as expected of
those regarded as sell-outs. In order to get a clear and interesting analy-
sis of the character, role and death of Judas Iscariot in the ministry of
Jesus and the Zimbabwean social, religious, economic and political life;
there is need to look at the gospel portrayal as well as the possible impli-
cations of such a portrayal in the Zimbabwean religio-political debate of
‘selling out’.
The Portrayal of Judas Iscariot in the Gospels
The gospel narratives on the role played by Judas in the betrayal of Jesus
are important in understanding the level at which this has developed
some roots that characterize the violence witnessed in Zimbabwe, for
example, political and religious ones. It is common to hear people at
church or at public gatherings saying that ‘he has the spirit of Judas’
when somebody does not go by what the majority would be advocating
for. In order to make sense of how each of the Gospel writers portrays
Judas, it is important to understand more broadly how the evangelists
portrayed Jesus and his disciples. Bart D Ehrman argues that:
The Gospel writers are not simply presenting us with historical facts. They
are telling stories about Jesus, shaping the stories in such a way as to convey
their own views about who he is and why he matters. This affects how they