re is not enough here for one day more."

Jesus looked upon him and said, "Judas, do not be more anxious than is
needful."

But Judas went on muttering and looking not at his Lord, but at the
bag, "How well the value of that uselessly wasted ointment would have
lain therein! how long we could have lived on it without care!"

Jesus reproved him, saying, "You have never lacked anything hitherto
and, believe me, that what is necessary will not fail you in time to
come."

Judas said, "But, master, when thou art no longer with us our good
friends will soon draw back, and then we shall be left in sore
distress."

Jesus said unto him, "Friend Judas, beware lest thou fall into
temptation."

The other disciples who had listened to this conversation then
interrupted, saying altogether, "Judas, trouble not the master so much."

Judas retorted, "Who will take thought if I do not? Have I not been
appointed by the master to carry the bag?"

"Thou hast," said Jesus, "but I fear----"

"And I also fear," interrupted Judas, "that soon it will be empty and
remain so."

Then Jesus went close up to him and said gravely and gently, "Judas,
forget not thy warning. Arise, now let us go hence, I desire to be in
the house of my Father."

Jesus then, followed by his disciples, excepting Judas, passed on to
the city.

Judas, being left alone, said to himself, "Shall I follow him any
longer. I do not much care to do so. The master's conduct to me is
very inexplicable. His great deeds allowed us to hope that he would
restore again the kingdom to Israel. But he does not seize the
opportunities that offer themselves, and now he constantly talks of
parting and dying, and puts us off with mysterious words about a future
which lies too far off in the dim distance for me. I am tired of
hoping and waiting. I can see very well, that with him there is no
prospect of anything but continued poverty and humiliation,--and
instead of the sharing, as we expected, in his glorious kingdom, we
shall perhaps be persecuted and thrown into prison with him. I will
draw back. It was a good thing that I was always prudent and cautious,
and have now and then laid aside a trifle out of the bag in case of
need. How useful I should find those 300 pence now which the foolish
woman threw away on a useless mark of respect. If, as seems likely,
the society is about to dissolve, they would have remained in my
hands--then I should have been safe for a lo