A Closer Look...
Denial is a well-known defensive mechanism. Defensive mechanisms enable us to distance ourselves from a full awareness of unpleasant thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Denial often kicks-in when we are seemingly unable or unwilling to face reality or admit an obvious truth.
Clergyman, and activist Elder Vander Jones says, "It's a strong probability that Judas entered denial when saying, "Master, is it I?" Doing so would be a good way to distance himself from the painful reality of exposure. Denial protects the ego from things we cannot cope with. Was truth spoken by Jesus just that excruciating, or merely too uncomfortable for Judas to face? If denial did kick-in, did it manifest appropriately as a temporal coping skill? Denial could have eased up on Judas, whispering to minimize the reality set before and within him. Or, did it surface as a flat-out rejection of truth? Moreover, if he had an evil conscience Judas would not experience guilt. A desensitized conscience is what it is: evil."
