Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money.
What pushed Judas over the edge? Was it Jesus’ revelation that He would soon be crucified? This would dash any hopes Judas had of becoming rich by following Jesus.
What was the last straw? Was it when Jesus allowed the woman to break a very expensive jar of perfume and pour it on His head? Perfume worth a full year’s wages!
What we know is - He blew it! That’s what we say when someone squanders a golden opportunity. Very appropriate description of Judas!
Judas is a chosen apostle. What an opportunity! He is student of Jesus every day, learning in His School.
Perhaps in some ways Judas - along with the other students – became a little more like their Teacher every day. But Judas had a particular weakness, his greed. He was the treasurer and he stole from the bag!
Every student of Jesus has particular sins that recur in their life. But Judas hides His sin! Doesn’t confess! A foothold of sin becomes a stronghold. Finally he gives up and betrays His Teacher for money.
It’s encouraging to us that the Teacher didn’t kick Judas out of His School, even though He knew Judas was stealing from the group.
What a Teacher! He wants us to succeed in both becoming more like Him and overcoming our sins. He knows this takes time – a lifetime!
Judas could have confessed his sin of greed. Jesus would have forgiven him over and over. We know this, because Judas didn’t confess and Jesus allowed him to continue as a student and as keeper of the bag!
Our Teacher patiently allows us to continue in the process of becoming more like him even as we confess our recurring sins. Sometimes it isn’t easy for us to live with this inconsistency, but this is every student’s reality. At least for now!
Very good thoughts. How challenging.
ReplyDeleteSomething else struck me about this - Jesus says about the woman, "She has done a beautiful thing to me."
This was done to him, to prepare him for burial. I'm sure she didn't realize this - she did it to honor Him. To humble herself. She did something beautiful. Something extraordinary. Something different, in service and love.
When was the last time we did something beautiful for Jesus?