Throughout The Cost of Discipleship, Bonhoeffer addresses what being a disciple of Jesus truly looks like. This discourse leads to the call to discipleship, for one cannot be a disciple unless they are called, and then briefly to the apostles. The apostles were called by Jesus, which includes Judas Iscariot. The fact that Jesus called Judas presents the question of why He would present the offer of discipleship to him since He would have known what the future held. Additionally, Judas blended right in with the rest of the apostles, none of them ever believing that any of the group would turn on Jesus. Judas’ calling holds many lessons for Christians regarding the nature of the call to discipleship, the people who are at church, and of one’s own calling.
Judas is a complex figure in the Bible, being called to discipleship but betraying his master. Bonhoeffer presents an assessment of Judas: “Even Judas went forth to Christ-work, and the fact that he did so will always be a dark riddle and an awful warning” (205). He calls Judas’ apostleship a dark riddle because he was called by Jesus, and since Jesus is all-knowing, he would have known that He would be betrayed by him. To fully understand, one needs to know the process of discipleship. Bonhoeffer writes that “there is no road to faith or discipleship, no other road--only obedience to the call of Jesus” (58). Since obeying the call means following Jesus, this step implies that Judas willingly chose to follow Jesus, that at one point he willingly chose to be a disciple. He then says, “Only the Mediator, the God-Man, can call men to follow him” (59). One does not just decide to follow Jesus--he must be called by God, and there is no other way. Furthermore, Judas had to believe that Jesus was the Christ, for “only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes” (63). Bonhoeffer writes that “[w]hen Jesus called his first disciples, they obeyed and followed him because they recognized him as the Christ … and he can be recognized only by faith” (226). Judas is one of the first disciples, meaning he would have recognized Jesus. In order for him to follow, he had to believe, and his obedience shows that to be true. Furthermore, the call shows that Jesus wanted Judas to follow Him. Even though people turn away from God and constantly sin, He still pursues them and wants to bring them back to Him. Jesus saw all of Judas’ flaws and would have known the horrible act he would execute, but He still chose to call him. Judas is a dark riddle because, even though the betrayal of Jesus was in his future, he was still summoned to discipleship by Jesus, which he accepted.
Judas also serves as a warning for Christians not to be fooled by appearances. There have been many people who claimed to follow Christ but were actually leading others astray. Judas looked like an apostle, but inside he was plotting to hand Jesus over to the Pharisees. None of the other apostles knew what he was planning. Bonhoeffer discusses how not everyone who attends church is who he says he is. He writes about false prophets, saying, “He looks like a Christian, he talks and acts like one. But dark powers are mysteriously at work … his words are lies and his works are full of deceit” (191). People may appear to be good church members, but they are actually working for the enemy trying to lead people away from the truth. Since people can be fooled, they can also fall away. Bonhoeffer further writes that “[t]he path of discipleship is narrow, and it is fatally easy to miss one’s way and stray from the path, even after years of discipleship” (190). Even the most devout followers of God can fall off the narrow way. Judas responded to Jesus’ call, which means he had some devotion. This scenario explains what happened with Judas, for he had nothing material to gain from following Jesus, so there could not have been an economic motivation; the only area he had to gain in was eternal life and the satisfaction of following Jesus. In scripture, his temptation was greed, like in John 12:1-8, when he desires the money that could have been earned by selling the perfume used to anoint Jesus’ feet. When Judas saw the opportunity to make money by betraying Jesus, he fell away by taking it, which let evil in, for his greed outweighed his devotion to God. Therefore, his story demonstrates how one could follow the right path and end up falling away. Judas proves to be a warning not only against false Christians but the ability to fall away, too.
Judas can also serve as a warning for becoming involved in evil. He made a deal with the Jewish leaders in Matthew 26:14-16 to have Jesus arrested in turn for money, not knowing the full extent of their plans. When Judas finds out Jesus has been crucified, he is mortified and tries to give back the coins before killing himself. The author writes, “The Body of Christ is the living temple of God and of the new humanity” (247). Christians receive new selves which are dwelling places for God, and so they should not be participating in acts contrary to the new identity they have taken. Judas thought one situation would happen, but instead another did. The message is that, by involving oneself in evil, it might actually go farther than intended, having dire consequences. Becoming involved in an area where one should not never ends well. Members of the body of Christ should strive to follow Him, but partaking in evil is acting to the contrary.
Bonhoeffer mentions Judas Iscariot when he discusses the apostles, claiming him to be a riddle and a caution. The reason he makes that statement is because Judas presents a riddle as to why a future betrayer would be called in the first place, which ties into the calling to be a disciple. He had to have belief in order to follow Christ, showing that at one point in time he wished to be a disciple. The warning is because if Judas, one of the original disciples, could fall off the narrow path by engaging in activities contrary to those commanded by God, then that outcome is possible for devout Christians. He also serves as a caution against taking people at face value, for one never knows when a deceiver is in his midst.
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