3683-2Fr. Aidan Kimel recently posted a fascinating, must-read article on the question of Judas Iscariot's final destiny in light of universal hope. It begins, "But what about the Iscariot‽ The fate of Judas is the challenge most often posed to anyone who dares to proclaim the greater hope." That's the question. His research and thoughts on the matter are worth reading here:

Pascha and the Apokatastasis of Judas Iscariot

However, it still left me wondering about Jesus' words at the Last Supper in Mark 14, where we read,

17 When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. 18 While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.”

19 They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely you don’t mean me?”

20 “It is one of the Twelve,” he replied, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me. 21 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

Verse 2 ought to trouble even the most hopeful among us, for in light of the possibility of ultimate redemption, how could the Saviour say non-existence would have been better than a redeemed outcome, the betrayal notwithstanding. That question led to a fascinating discussion among friends, worth sharing here:

Responding to Mark 14:21 

Tony Fagan In my opinion, the pure love of God, unconditional love, overrides what failures any human have experienced. Hitler or any world leader will all be resurrected. Something in man takes delight at the thought of someone didn't make it but I did. It is as if man makes himself feel a notch above another to believe so and so won't be in the Kingdom. Religions love exclusivity and drawing the line in the sand.
 
Brad Jersak Agreed, so again, what do we make of the Lord's words in this text?
 
Jim Folsom It is interesting that you bring this up. I'm not a language scholar. I have heard people read this passage as 'good for Jesus if Judas had never been born.' Is that a misinterpretation or is it a possible reading of that text?
 
Brad Jersak I'm not sure that it helps, but it is very different, isn't it? It creates new and maybe worse problems. The best option might be to read it rhetorically rather than literally.
 
Tony Fagan "I forgive you and I love my enemies. I came to die," Jesus would say, for all humanity, to include everyone into the joy of being as one with my Father.
 
This might be too general but the Holy Spirit will show us more on this when we are ready to handle it. God created every human being before the earth began orbitting around the sun. I think, in my opinion, if God didn't want someone in His Kingdom He would have simply not design them in the first place. I don't see God being the creator of people in order to have a day of let's exterminate those detestables, at long last.
 
Tim Hall Do you think Christ might have had Ecclesiastes in mind?
Eccl. 6:3 A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that *a stillborn child is better off than he.* [emphasis mine].
Sean Davidson We can hope: 
"Then he will come, Christ the uncrucified,
Christ the discrucified, his death undone,
His agony unmade, his cross dismantled—
Glad to be so—and the tormented wood
Will cure its hurt and grow into a tree
In a green springing corner of young Eden,
And Judas damned take his long journey backward
From darkness into light and be a child
Beside his mother’s knee, and the betrayal
Be quite undone and never more be done."
– Edwin Muir, "The Transfiguration" 
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