LENT 2016 – GOING TO JERUSALEM

Monday, March 14

The Passover with the Disciples, Part Two: Matthew 26: 20 – 25

            Jesus holds up a mirror to some abhorrent behavior. It is in our human nature to recoil at the very thought that I, of all people, could do such a thing. “Surely not I, Lord?”

It is a little intriguing that when Judas played along with the charade of feigned innocence, he addresses Jesus only as rabbi and not Lord (v.25) like the other disciples.  It may indicate that he was quickly distancing himself from the messianic impulse of this movement, and regarded Jesus just as a teacher, and not God’s Champion to be followed, no matter what.

I am pretty sure that we don’t get to pick who Jesus is. We don’t tell Jesus what to do and how to do it.  Yet, the painful truth may be that some of us may not like what Jesus represents, or what he says, or what he expects of us, or how he goes about his business, but that is our problem more than his issue. It is really hard for some folk to get their heads around a Crucified Saviour for sake of humanity. Perhaps, Judas was so frustrated and disappointed that another promising liberation movement was about to sputter to an inglorious end on a Roman cross.

Judas is a mirror for our reluctant discipleship. He is the template for our own levels of separation from Jesus. He is the pattern of our unwilling desire to call Jesus, Lord. He is the archetype of our inability to accept Jesus for who he is. He is the standard for the ability and capacity to speak the name of Jesus, one way, but betray him with our words and actions, the next.

Yet, no one stopped him; not even Jesus tried. Judas made his decision to give up on Jesus, and give him over to the religious authorities. There are times we can become so hard- headed and so hard-hearted that nothing, not even the love of Jesus, can deter us from doing something monumentally stupid or destructively  harmful.

There has been a great deal of effort to rehabilitate Judas’ reputation. If we were in Judas’ sandals we would want Jesus to give us the benefit of the doubt, to forgive what we had done, to make some allowances, to pour grace and mercy over the wounds we have caused. The betrayal is all on him, although Luke and John indicate Satan played a role, too. But Judas’ spirit had to be willing in the first place, I would think.

Can we find any helpful counsel in any of this?

Check our motives at the door when we are in the presence of Jesus. Don’t get carried away by our own, personal agendas and plans. Don’t give up when things seem to be going awry and trust that God’s Love will work it all out. Trust your community of friends who share the journey with you.  It is not up to you alone to make things happen; it is supposed to be and needs to be a shared venture.

Most of all, don’t give up on Jesus!

“Surely not I, Lord?”