Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Betrayal sucks

  With it being Holy Week last week, it got me thinking about the Easter story and the different people within the story.  The person that jumped off the page for me was Judas Iscariot, or the one who betrayed Jesus.  Judas gets the attention during the Easter story for his betrayal of Jesus, but we somehow forget his attempt at redemption and his eventual demise.  Here are some very random thought on Judas and the weeks leading up to his infamous act in history. 

   The first take away I can take away from the life of Judas is that even though he walked with Jesus for three years, he still didn't get it.  Yes, one can go down the rabbit trail on whether God predestined Judas to betray Jesus, but I think that Judas still had a choice.  I don't think he woke up one morning and decided to betray Jesus, because most often than not, it takes time and little life choices that make us calloused.  Those little choices will set us on a path for either great opportunities or destruction.  We can change mid stream and make better choices and change our direction, but we have to be self aware of our life situation and have enough vision to see where are actions and attitudes are leading us and be willing to change them.  It is the frog in the pot of water.  We have to know that the water is getting warmer and that we are going to be dinner instead of not recognizing the change in water temp.

   My second observation is similar to the first and that is being disgruntle or restless often leads to compromise.  In John 12, Jesus feet are anointed by Mary with a very expensive bottle of perfume.  Judas objected not only because it was a very expensive bottle, but also better things could of been done with that money like feeding the poor or going on some retreat to a plush resort on the Lake of Galilee.  Jesus rebuked Him and claim she was doing the right thing.  How often do we become restless and even disgruntled when we don't get our way or we feel that we are not being heard.  Being disgruntle or apathetic often is compounded on each other when we think our needs or wants are not being met or taken care or when we are not being heard.  If we do not handle these attitudes correctly, they will lead us to make questionable decisions and comments and then it becomes a vicious circle.

   The third observation is that betrayal sucks.  It doesn't matter if you are the victim or the perpetrator.  It often means the end of a relationship and that there are going to be trust issues.  I think one of the reasons why betrayal is to attractive is that it gives us an upper hand.  How often do we betray someone's trust to force their hand into getting the to do something we want them to do.  I think this is what compelled Judas to do it, it would be so that Jesus hand would be forced into setting up the Kingdom here on earth and driving the Romans out.  What Judas failed to recognized is that betrayal never gives us the results we want and it makes things messier than what they should be.

    The fourth observation is that there is this question that did Jesus really make Judas do this, or did the devil really take over Judas.  Here is my take, I think Jesus knew Judas was going to do it.  Judas was discontent enough to where the devil could use him to try and force Jesus hand.  It was a hail mary for the devil and it did not work
 
   The fifth observation is this idea of repentance and what do we do when we realized we messed up.  Judas realized that He screwed up and tried to return the money to the temple, but the High Priest could not accept it because it was considered blood money.  Judas response was that he betrayed innocent blood, which he did, but he still didn't get it.  He didn't claim to betray a prophet, Elijah reborn or even the Son of God, but to Judas, Jesus was still some guy who did some cool things, but He didn't deserve the death He got.  When Judas realized that his view of the kingdom and Gods view are two completely differently things and when things couldn't go back to the way they were, he was so overcome with guilt and shame that he went and hung himself.  Guilt and shame are two very powerful emotions that has two distinctive paths that are very different.  The choice is ours in the one we take. The first path is one of forgiveness and redemption, in which we do not let those actions handicap us for the rest of our life and we move on a path of restoration and work at building healthy relationships with God, others and ourselves  The second path is where we make more questionable decisions in which makes our guilt and shame worse and it destroys our relationships.  I often think that we do not completely understand the impact our sin has on ourselves or others.  I think if we did, we would live life differently. Here is a PSA, guilt and shame can do a number on someone.  The only way our guilt and shame can be absolved is through seeking forgiveness of God and changing our ways through the power of the cross and the Holy Spirit

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