Betrayal

 Have you ever gone to say something and realized that you were about to contradict yourself? The smart thing to do would be to not say one of things you wanted to say, then no one would know the battle you had with yourself. Me, I think I just want to say whatever is on my mind and then pick up the pieces when it's all said and done. That leads me to this post! If you plan on talking about a subject for many years, it's ok to leave some things out. Whatever you don't get this time, just make sure you get them the next time. But, when it comes to some things, I think you have some sort of obligation to tell certain parts every time you visit the subject. It's Easter weekend and today is Good Friday! For some reason every time I think about what to write, I keep coming back to Judas. I challenge everyone to look around at their friends and family, the people they are closest with. What if I told you that in three years, one of them is going to betray you? Not a small betrayal, but something huge. On top of that, even though you know that they are going to betray you, you have to spend every day with them and treat them just as you treat everyone else. Could you do it? When Jesus started his ministry, he picked twelve people that would be close to him. They would spend every day with him and get to see up close who Jesus really was. When a miracle happened, they would be there. They would hear everything that Jesus said, but in the end, someone would turn on him.  If you knew this three years ahead of time, how would you treat them? Here is what it says in Matthew 26:14-16

14 Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests 15 and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over. 

Judas has agreed to betray Jesus and Jesus knows all this, So how does he handle it when he sees him again. For that answer we need to go to John Chapter 13.

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. 

He washed Judas' feet! Couldn't he have waited until after Judas left? I know I would have handled it differently, but in the end, did it have a bigger impact on the disciples when they realized that Jesus knew what was going to happen, but he still washed his feet? So many lessons are here. In life, we are going to have people that disappoint us, we are going to have people betray us in some way. How are we going to treat them back? In case you didn't know, how does the Judas's story end? We hear about that in Matthew chapter 27.

Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. 2 So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor. 3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4 “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.” 5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. 6 The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. 8 That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, 10 and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”

One of the most controversial thoughts I have ever had, and again I want to say thoughts, I have no idea what the truth is, but deep down I wonder if Judas went to heaven. Don't yell at me, but please feel free to express your opinion, I just want to point out that the scripture says he had remorse and he admitted that he sinned. Isn't that some of things we are told we need to do? I could be way off, but it would be an amazing lesson in forgiveness. When Jesus talks about forgiving people the way he forgave us, this sure would be a good example of how far he is willing to go with forgiveness. 

I'm hoping I can post three days in a row! I know that I didnt talk about Jesus being arrested or the trial at all, but again, hopefully we have many years to talk about all of this and I will get it next time. Until tomorrow, be thinking of who you need to forgive.