Introduction
Today we are going to continue our Lenten preaching series entitled, the Drama, where each week we will look to a different person that interacted with Jesus in his final few days and after his resurrection to see what they learned from him and what they can teach us. We began on Ash Wednesday by looking at our role in the drama and how each of us have contributed to Jesus being crucified, we then continued on the next week by looking at the role of Pontius Pilate and the question of what shall I do with Jesus, crown him or crucify him, and then spent our time together three weeks ago looking at Simon Peter and the great hope that is ours through God's wonderful gift of redemption even in the midst of our failures. Two weeks ago, we focused on the onlookers, from friends to enemies and those in between, that stood at the foot of our crucified Savior, as we sought to see the importance of love and community and last week Carole blessed with her message about the role of Simon of Cyrene and how at times we find ourselves playing a role of apathy. Today we are going to continue by looking at one of the most reviled villains in all of history, Judas. Specifically, what can we learn not only from his actions and what he did do, but also from those actions that he did not do.
Judas the Man
I think Judas can best be described using a phrase made famous by Winston Churchill; {Judas} is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. There are a few facts that we do know about Judas. He was the son of Simon Iscariot and one of the twelve apostles. Consequently, he would have traveled with Jesus, for about three years, gaining first hand knowledge and experience of all that Jesus said and did. This also means that Judas would have been sent by Jesus, at times, to preach the Gospel, heal the sick, and cast out demons.
However, it was demons that eventually got the better of Judas. Judas is widely believed to have been a thief, even though he was given charge of the Apostles' money. But, Judas Iscariot is mostly remembered for one thing, his betrayal of Jesus Christ. For taking a bribe from the religious leaders, leading them to the Garden of Gethsemane, kissing Jesus on the cheek, thereby delivering Jesus into the hands of the temple guards. For centuries, that has been the central focus of all of Judas' actions and the defining aspect of his character. A character that we do not celebrate but instead utter under hushed tones. After all, how many of you have family members named Judas? We all have a Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John somewhere. But not Judas.
Why Judas...Why!?!
The first question to ask in this part of the drama is “why”? Why would Judas, a person that followed Jesus, ministered with Jesus, knew Jesus, betray him? Theologians have debated this question for years. Did Judas do it of his own free will? Did Judas have no choice, but rather was simply a pawn being controlled by God or Satan? If Judas was a pawn, what does that say about God?
My belief on the subject is this, Judas was not a pawn, but rather acted of his own free will, but did so under the heavy burden of temptation for power and control. Theologian and United Methodist pastor Maxie Dunham, put it this way, “To suggest that it was God’s intention that a man in a divine drama should do evil, and, indeed, that he had no real freedom to do otherwise, makes God a partaker in evil, which is impossible, and makes Judas free from blame.”
God did not create this evil or place it in Judas' heart and Judas wrought with guilt and remorse did try and return the bribe paid to him. But he was mocked by the religious leaders. And Scripture tells us in total despair Judas threw the money at the feet of the leaders and then took his own life. This story is tragic and the drama intense. But it is also full of wisdom.
Is Judas Alive Today?
To help us better understand this wisdom I want to ask you all a question. Is Judas alive today? Not the physical body, but the character. Do we know people in our lives that betray others; talk about them behind their back, offer them little to no grace for past actions, and seek to bring them down? Are those people close to us, or worse yet, from time to time are we those people?
You know Judas was more than the act of betraying his Master. Judas was a son loved by his parents, a man engaged in brotherhood with the other apostles, and man deemed worthy of being a disciple of Jesus Christ. God created this man, Jesus claimed this man, and this man had real value.
Often times I think we all become a Judas because we fall into the temptation of wanting a sense of control or power. We want to take things into our own hands and leave Jesus on the outside looking in. Richard Foster writes in his book, Celebration of Discipline, “The obsession to demand that things go the way we want them to go is one of the greatest bondages in human society today. People will spend weeks, months, even years in a perpetual stew because some little thing did not go as they wished. They will fuss and fume. They will get mad about it. They will act as if their very life hangs on the issue. They may even get an ulcer over it.1 This week in my Midweek Moment I wrote about the importance of making sure that as we prepare ourselves during this time of Lent, we keep on eye on the fruits that we are producing as a result. Fruits that will be bigger than who we are, fruits what will last beyond our days, fruits that bring glory to God our Father. And the best way I know to ensure we do that very thing, is to always rely on and live for God.
Before we turn on another person ask, does this bring glory to God? Before we spew hurtful words to another member of God's creation, ask would this bring joy to God's heart? Before we turn our back on a fellow disciple, ask is this what Jesus is calling me to do? These are hard questions, uncomfortable questions, but realistic questions.
Could It Have Been Different?
As I ponder the man Judas was and the actions that he committed, I have to ask myself one question. If he had gone to Jesus to ask forgiveness, rather than the religious leaders, could his life have turned out any different?
Can you imagine the life that could have been lived out of that redemption, based on that forgiveness? What a testimony Judas could have given about the true meaning of the cross; the unconditional, unmerited love of God poured out for all of us.
On this Palm Sunday, we remember, commemorate, and celebrate the arrival of Jesus Christ. I encourage you to always carry that celebration within you, by always loving others, always thinking the best of others, and never reducing anyone to a single act of the past. Do not create a Judas within another person, but rather show them Jesus inside of you.
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1. Foster, Richard. Celebration of Discipline. (HarperOne) p.97
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