The Mestizo: Another Judas

a response to The Power and the Glory

In the story of the passion, Jesus admits to one of his disciples that he will soon betray him. The man is Judas, Judas Iscariot, and immediately after hearing the news of Jesus' crucifixion, he was overwhelmed with pride and turned his master in for only three silver coins. Such a cheap trade, for such a powerful and forgiving man. Jesus was a savior, a redeemer, a rescuer and for only a small price, was turned in to the authorities, who then, in order to fulfill scripture, crucified him.

This is a similar event to one in, The Power and the Glory, a parallel novel to the passion. While a whiskey priest is escaping to Carmen, his home town, he comes upon a mestizo. He is sick with a fever but cannot help noticing the priest's "priest-like" features. The priest, representing Christ, realizes the horrible condition that the mestizo is in and allows him to tag along on his journey. “This was the pride, devilish pride, lying here offering his shirt to the man who wanted to betray him. Even his attempts at escape had been half-hearted because of his pride – the sin by which the angels fell.” (95) This quote is a turning point in the priest's life. He has just told a poor sick man that he is a fugitive priest and that the reward of five hundred pesos is still on the line for the man who turns him in. The mestizo says that he would never turn the priest in, but the priest is aware that he is in the presence of Judas, the betrayer.