I have been wondering about Judas, the disciple who ended up betraying Jesus. We will hear scripture about him on Sunday (John 13.21-31/John 18.1-9). What went wrong inside him? Why did he hand over Jesus to the authorities? Of course we don’t know and John makes it sound so black and white: he was a thief (12.6)and Satan entered into him. The gospel of Matthew gives us a gray glimpse of Judas’ remorse and despair(he hanged himself). I look at life and people around me, the stories I could tell and the stories that have been told me. It makes me certain of two things: the situation with Judas was more complicated than the gospel writer knew and that Jesus loved him even though he knew what was going on. Bloggers out there, what are your thoughts?
suzemith says
The old saying, “It was a dirty job but someone had to do it”, seems to apply to Judas. Without his betrayal, how would Jesus, whose job was another one that no one wanted, have died for us? It almost seems as if Judas had to be a sacrifice of a different kind. His name has been synonomous with all things evil, but his was a part that had to be played out by someone, or all that followed couldn’t have happened….
Elaine Dent says
Hmmm…Good point, Sue. There is another saying: “There, but for the grace of God, go I.” Judas handed Jesus over in a big way. But then we sometimes do similar things to one another, perhaps on a smaller scale. So if we receive mercy for our betrayals,then part of me hopes that somewhere, sometime, Judas has wanted and received mercy for his part in what happened. It is the tension between judgment and grace which is where I struggle in my faith.