Others such as Caiaphas and Baruch the Zealot obviously can also see Judas' hidden flaws and seek to use them to their advantage. This bit of dialogue really struck me; it's when Baruch the Zealot is suggesting to Caiaphas that they try to turn Judas. Caiaphas asks if he is susceptible to threats or bribes and Baruch replies: "Not in the ordinary way, no; he has a subtle mind and would see through any crude methods to corrupt him. But he may be led into deceiving himself with specious arguments- that is the weakness of all clever people: intellectual dishonesty springing from intellectual pride, the sin by which Adam fell." These words could have been written about our era, as we are presented with numerous of examples of intellectual dishonesty and self-deception in public intellectuals, so-called, on a daily basis.
I was pleased to find myself quite enjoying listening to The Man Born To Be King because at first, I wasn't sure that I was going to. It started out a little slow for me, probably mostly because I know these parts of the Bible so well that through the first parts it seemed like a bit of a retread of very familiar territory. But this is Sayers merely staging the scene and, once all of the key players are in place, her skill as a suspense writer becomes evident as she tells the miraculous tale of the Christ while weaving political maneuvering, religious scheming, and personal rivalries throughout the narrative. It's also interesting to see how the threat Jesus posed to the establishment led to some very strange bedfellows, so to speak. For example, we see Baruch and Caiaphas collaborating though they have very different motivations. While definitely scandalized by Jesus' radical teachings, Caiaphas also worries that He will stir up trouble with Rome, causing them all grief. Baruch on the other hand is a Zealot, a sect committed to the cause of violently overthrowing Roman rule. He opposes Jesus precisely because He shows no sign of wanting to fight against Rome, preaching instead a heavenly kingdom and loving one's enemies. This doesn't play well to either faction. But Jesus didn't come to make nice- be "winsome," as it were- or confirm everyone's pet political theories and religious beliefs. And so He doesn't. As play succeeds play, the tensions- and stakes- are slowly ratcheted up and, even though you know where this is all headed, it makes for great listening. We do indeed know how the next six plays are going to go, but Sayers presents a very creditable account of how these events in the Gospels could have played out.