The Apocalypse of Judas

Seen the arrow on the doorpost
Saying, "This land is condemned
All the way from New Orleans
to Jerusalem."

Bob Dylan
"Blind Willie McTell"

(Editors note: The following was found recently, buried in the Temple Mount. It is believed to be a fragment of a much longer work. Although not verified, it appears to be the work of the Apostle Judas, written just before his death.)

…In the end, it came. Inexorable as the tide, final as the grave. He who triumphed over death had returned. From his mouth preceded the word, and the world bowed at the feet of the Lamb. In the end, he gathered them before the throne of His Father, whose glory shone like a thousand suns, and upon whose face none could look.
And on his left he placed the damned, and on the right, the blessed. And I saw with amazement, that those upon his right were bruised and bloody, their clothes torn and their eyes tearful. And those upon the left were clean, untouched by bruise or pain, dressed in robes of spotless white. Then the Lord spoke to those upon his right, and his words were like sweet honey, saying: "Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I hungered and you gave me to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you cared for me, I was in prison and you came to me."
Then those righteous answered him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you to drink? When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
Then the Lord replied, saying, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these Lambs of mine, you did for me.'
Then he spoke to those upon his left, and his voice was like a lash of scorpions saying, "Depart from my presence, ye who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not take me in, I was naked and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not care for me."
And they wept, tearing their clothes crying, 'Lord, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
And the Lamb replied, his face terrible as a thundercloud, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of my Lambs, you did not do for me.'
Then from the ranks of the damned a voice cried out, "Lord, Lord, I see those blessed upon your right, and I see there those who did not worship you! I see among the ranks of the blessed those who worshiped idols, those who worshiped devils and never took your name. And I see there those who were never washed in your blood. And yet here I stand, Lord, washed in your blood, hallowed in your name. I worshiped you my entire life, yet stand condemned before your throne. How is this, Lord?"
At the same time from those gathered on the right, one crept forward and threw himself at the feet of the Lord; crying "Lord, Lord! I am not worthy of salvation! I strove my entire life to help your Lambs. I tried to bring light to the world, but could not light a single candle in the darkness. I strove to help the weak, yet my voice was lost to the storm of hate and fear. I confess that I have failed you, Lord, and I am not worthy of your Grace, for I could not help even of your lambs."
The again the first spoke saying, "Lord, I gave to Your Holy church. Lord, I worshiped you, praised your name and preached your gospel to all I saw. Why am I condemned? Look at my robes! They are spotless, free of sin and stain. And look at those bloody, dirty souls who never once prayed to you, but gave their love to alien Gods. Why should they be saved?"
And the Lord again spoke, saying "Silence, Imp of Satan! How did you praise my name? It was often on your lips, but never in your heart. Never in prayer, but in my Name you issued pleas to deprive the widows of their last mite! When you spread my Word, it was not with My love, but with hate, saying that all who questioned you were damned. When the poorest of my lambs crept into your country, hoping for a better life, you expelled them, threw them into jail, and used them as slaves, in my name. When you saw my beloved children who followed a different path, you preached hatred for them, in My Holy Name. When those who did not love as you wished to be bound to their partners, you cast them as demons, denied them as I created them in their mother’s womb, forced them into a life that was a lie, and denied them the sacrament of marriage, in the name of my Gospel. You condemned many upon my right as damned beyond salvation, in my Name. Worst of all, you took my Gospel of love and hope, and used it to spread your hatred and bigotry. Leave my sight forever. I never knew you, and I deny you before my father."
As he spoke the last, the wretched soul was hurled into the pit, lost forever to our eyes.
Then he turned to the second speaker saying; "Do not weep, my beloved. It is true; you could not change the world. You could do almost nothing, and you could not give as much to my service as you wished. That which you could give, seems to you to have been wasted. No one saw your toils, and they changed nothing. But I saw, my child. I saw your struggles to help my beloved, to help the weakest among my children. Wear your bruises and tears with pride, for they are the symbol of a life in my service, the bruises upon your heart, upon your soul, from when saw how much pain there was to change. And in your darkest hours, you lifted your eyes to me, and crying, said "Lord, please, give me the strength to change one thing." I did not answer, and you thought I had abandoned you. In the end, you toiled on alone. You worked, not for your salvation, but for love of my children. And for that you are rewarded. Enter now into my kingdom, for the love you showed to the least of mine."
Then again from the damned a soul spoke up saying, "Lord, I understand why you condemned the other. But why me, Lord? I worshiped you. I never condemned your children; I never made the world worse. I sought only to live and let live. Why then, have you damned me?"
And the Lord rose, and his face was terrible to behold, as he roared; "Leave my sight! There is none worse then those who do not even try, those who simply pass by life. At least that other tried to change the world! For evil, it is true, but he tried to make a change. You saw the suffering of my Children, slaving in the outhouses, and you not only ignored their plight, but you continued to support their masters, for it was their "right" to do what they chose, as long as it was within the letter of the law! You saw my creation being destroyed, but did nothing to cause change, reasoning that there was nothing you could do, so you might as well not even try! Saw my children slaughtered, and starving, and turned away, reasoning that your voice was only one in a wilderness, and that your one small voice could not change anything. Viper! You saw the pain in the world, and you reasoned it was so great, that your small efforts could cause no change! You let my children be led into war by vicious leaders and did not speak out in rage, reasoning that your voice would not be missed, that there would be others enough. You saw my children in the Kingdom of Babylon slaughtered by your country, and you did not speak out, thinking that they should be punished for the crimes of a few among them! You have not acted for evil, but you let evil leave you silent. And evil took your silence for complicity and kept on. And you dare to be enraged at My judgment! Truly is it said that hell hath no fury like the uninvolved! Begone into hell!"
And then, the damned spoke as one, saying…
(It is at this point that the papyrus ends. This sole fragment, however, is sure to cause a great upheaval among the Christian church. As perhaps it should. Selah.)