Judas Iscariot was a man who had never known love. Rejected by his parents, rejected by everybody he came to meet and know, and therefore it is doubtful that Judas never sought acceptance, but rather to be free and to live freely, away from other people. Never looking for a place to get in and fit in. To join a group. To join a gang. To wear the bandana or any other symbol that would help him gain recognition that he had arrived, or a person of importance, or holding a postion that he certainly deserved. To join the Little League and wear the uniform? Play golf? Go bowling with the guys on Tuesday nights? No. Of course he would never ask the homecoming queen for a date: she was in a galaxy where he would not allow himself to travel.
Judas was never competitive. He could get hurt playing football, and he did not like pain. Running up and down a basketball court was more like work than fun. Getting in fights was not his arena, either, because he did not like confrontation. He never tried out for the debating club, and thus he could have never been a lawyer. He spent most of his time in his own room, reading and studying books, gaining knowledge. He sought employment that would be more challenging for his intellect, than for his physical capabilities. Thus he stayed by himself, investing his time in his own projects to busy himself and to avoid team efforts, or group activities. This way he was in charge and in control---of himself as well as his circumstances---for Judas was a loner, an anti-social, and his one and only interest in life was himself.
Remaining by himself enabled him to avoid confrontation and thus he would not have to defend himself if someone bumped him in the hallway at school, or threw him to the ground playing touch football, or if someone said his girlfriend had the face of an elephant. He could not stand up for himself, or fight his own battles. Even at work, he worked alone. Not wanting any help, not asking for any help, because he did not need or want any help. He was in his own universe all by himself where there was no room for anybody else.
Perhaps Judas had been doted too much by his mother, and his father, being of the out-of-doors type, thought his wife was training him to be too womanish, or too soft, and his father thought his son should be stronger and tougher. Thus there was conflict at home. After all, boys should play football instead of spending his days helping his mom clean house.
According to biographies about Judas, he was the most educated member of the Twelve. Of course he was educated! His education was the result of his isolation. Thus the subjects Judas preferred to discuss were those out of his fountain of intellect and not from the world outside of himself. But also from not being competitive, he never engaged in friendly debates about politics other than to point out something he heard on the six o'clock news. But that would be an opinion of others and not an observation out of himself. Judas would quote others because he had no quotes of his own to offer. He couldn't. That would not be safe, stepping out to the unknown. People may not like him for speaking his own mind, yet Judas never wanted to be liked, to be accepted, and offering his opinion would have been like rolling the dice, taking a chance, and he was not a gambler of sorts. A nice guy and not someone who stirs the water, or agitates conversation at the local diner. After all, he had his image to protect, no matter how warped it was. But it was still his image.
Judas Iscariot had no friends. His isolation was also his insulation. He did not want others to know who he really was, so he devulged as little about himself as possible: which was usually zero. The less people knew about him, the better for him.
Biographers also report that Judas was wealthy. Of course he was wealthy! Money was all he had to cling to. If he had no money, he would have nothing. He preferred to spend the money of others than to spend his own. No matter if he earned his cash, interited it, or skimmed from the top of the disciples' money bag, it was his money once he deposited the money in his own pocket. To Judas, money was his god, which increased his feelings of self-worth and self-importance. As it is written, however, the love of money is the root of all evil.
Judas Iscariot was a flatliner: he was void of emotions. If he had been in a hospital, doctors would have said he was dead. His face was the face of bark on a tree. If he laughed, leaves would fall. He never laughed. And when he smiled, his grin was forced and not real. Now and then he would crack a wiseguy joke, but his jokes were not funny---even though he thought they were and wanted them to be. For even his humor was forced and not natural. He never stood up for anything or stood against anything. He never spoke for anything, or spoke against anything. He was a loner and being alone was his natural habitat. If he did good deeds, it was usually to receive the praise of others because he wanted to be praised.
In his lifetime, Judas could not be honest, which raises the question about his conscience. He was a liar. A thief. Manipulater. Deceiver. Always looking for opportunity to advance the cause of himself. Even though he was the master of his aloofness, he still sought adoration of others because that helped him feel like he was somebody: or at least have others to think that he was somebody. It was important to him to believe that others believed that he was one of the good guys, one of those people who are indispensible as well as trustworthy.
So then, why did Jesus choose Judas to be one of the Twelve?
Jesus knew all about Judas. The Lord knew Judas before he was a baby in his mother's womb. Jesus knew all of Judas's life: his rejections, self-worth, education, and financial portfolio.
Jesus is the Lord of second chances. By inviting Judas in with the Twelve, Jesus was giving Judas the chance of a lifetime, and the chance to be saved. For you see, the Lord loved him. Regardless of Judas's nature to do evil, the Lord still loved him.
Jesus Christ is the only person on earth who truly accepted Judas: for all that he was and for all that he could become if he would come clean. This is unconditional love, so perfectly demonstrated by Jesus, as only Jesus could do.
Judas Iscariot watched the only person to ever love him die on the cross, suffering the pain of death by execution by crucifixion. Judas watched the nails as they were hammered in the hands and feet of the only person who ever loved him. This was when the message of Christ struck the heart of Judas. This was the moment when all that Judas had been masking fell from his face, and his emotions finally broke through a facade of cement and concrete. This was the moment when a jackhammer ripped open his chest and his heart began to pound for the first time in his life. This was when he finally stood up for something, and to even stand up for himself and his wrong. This is when Judas ran!
Judas, however, made the wrong decision. Instead of confessing his sin to God, he ran to the temple and expressed his remorse to the Sanhedrin---as if they could fix his sin against God. When they rejected his confession, Judas, hopeless and helpless, resorted to his world of loneliness and hanged himself. He offered the Sanhedrin the thirty pieces of silver, which they declined because that was blood money, and, being such, they could not accept because that would have been unlawful. To them, their murder of Christ was justified leagalism, for they were all about law and not about mercy and grace.
Perhaps, too, Judas never knew that the conspirators had killing on their minds. Perhaps Judas was under the assumption that they merely wanted to have a chat with Jesus in an effort to persuade the Lord to stop His preaching and teaching. Thus the conspirators used Judas in the same way that Judas used others. Judas had therefore been deceived, just as Judas had deceived others throughout his whole life.
Judas could have been born again in Christ Jesus, but he sold his birth certificate to heaven for thirty pieces of silver, for money was his treasure. Knowing this, Jesus made Judas one final offer on the morning of the Lord's cruicifixion. Jesus called him: "friend".
The life of Judas Iscariot was a life of total deception: for his heart was totally evil, from which he could not be converted. And while Jesus was shedding His blood for the sin of the world, Judas Iscariot was experiencing eternal damnation of his soul.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10: 9)
Amen.
Judas was never competitive. He could get hurt playing football, and he did not like pain. Running up and down a basketball court was more like work than fun. Getting in fights was not his arena, either, because he did not like confrontation. He never tried out for the debating club, and thus he could have never been a lawyer. He spent most of his time in his own room, reading and studying books, gaining knowledge. He sought employment that would be more challenging for his intellect, than for his physical capabilities. Thus he stayed by himself, investing his time in his own projects to busy himself and to avoid team efforts, or group activities. This way he was in charge and in control---of himself as well as his circumstances---for Judas was a loner, an anti-social, and his one and only interest in life was himself.
Remaining by himself enabled him to avoid confrontation and thus he would not have to defend himself if someone bumped him in the hallway at school, or threw him to the ground playing touch football, or if someone said his girlfriend had the face of an elephant. He could not stand up for himself, or fight his own battles. Even at work, he worked alone. Not wanting any help, not asking for any help, because he did not need or want any help. He was in his own universe all by himself where there was no room for anybody else.
Perhaps Judas had been doted too much by his mother, and his father, being of the out-of-doors type, thought his wife was training him to be too womanish, or too soft, and his father thought his son should be stronger and tougher. Thus there was conflict at home. After all, boys should play football instead of spending his days helping his mom clean house.
According to biographies about Judas, he was the most educated member of the Twelve. Of course he was educated! His education was the result of his isolation. Thus the subjects Judas preferred to discuss were those out of his fountain of intellect and not from the world outside of himself. But also from not being competitive, he never engaged in friendly debates about politics other than to point out something he heard on the six o'clock news. But that would be an opinion of others and not an observation out of himself. Judas would quote others because he had no quotes of his own to offer. He couldn't. That would not be safe, stepping out to the unknown. People may not like him for speaking his own mind, yet Judas never wanted to be liked, to be accepted, and offering his opinion would have been like rolling the dice, taking a chance, and he was not a gambler of sorts. A nice guy and not someone who stirs the water, or agitates conversation at the local diner. After all, he had his image to protect, no matter how warped it was. But it was still his image.
Judas Iscariot had no friends. His isolation was also his insulation. He did not want others to know who he really was, so he devulged as little about himself as possible: which was usually zero. The less people knew about him, the better for him.
Biographers also report that Judas was wealthy. Of course he was wealthy! Money was all he had to cling to. If he had no money, he would have nothing. He preferred to spend the money of others than to spend his own. No matter if he earned his cash, interited it, or skimmed from the top of the disciples' money bag, it was his money once he deposited the money in his own pocket. To Judas, money was his god, which increased his feelings of self-worth and self-importance. As it is written, however, the love of money is the root of all evil.
Judas Iscariot was a flatliner: he was void of emotions. If he had been in a hospital, doctors would have said he was dead. His face was the face of bark on a tree. If he laughed, leaves would fall. He never laughed. And when he smiled, his grin was forced and not real. Now and then he would crack a wiseguy joke, but his jokes were not funny---even though he thought they were and wanted them to be. For even his humor was forced and not natural. He never stood up for anything or stood against anything. He never spoke for anything, or spoke against anything. He was a loner and being alone was his natural habitat. If he did good deeds, it was usually to receive the praise of others because he wanted to be praised.
In his lifetime, Judas could not be honest, which raises the question about his conscience. He was a liar. A thief. Manipulater. Deceiver. Always looking for opportunity to advance the cause of himself. Even though he was the master of his aloofness, he still sought adoration of others because that helped him feel like he was somebody: or at least have others to think that he was somebody. It was important to him to believe that others believed that he was one of the good guys, one of those people who are indispensible as well as trustworthy.
So then, why did Jesus choose Judas to be one of the Twelve?
Jesus knew all about Judas. The Lord knew Judas before he was a baby in his mother's womb. Jesus knew all of Judas's life: his rejections, self-worth, education, and financial portfolio.
Jesus is the Lord of second chances. By inviting Judas in with the Twelve, Jesus was giving Judas the chance of a lifetime, and the chance to be saved. For you see, the Lord loved him. Regardless of Judas's nature to do evil, the Lord still loved him.
Jesus Christ is the only person on earth who truly accepted Judas: for all that he was and for all that he could become if he would come clean. This is unconditional love, so perfectly demonstrated by Jesus, as only Jesus could do.
Judas Iscariot watched the only person to ever love him die on the cross, suffering the pain of death by execution by crucifixion. Judas watched the nails as they were hammered in the hands and feet of the only person who ever loved him. This was when the message of Christ struck the heart of Judas. This was the moment when all that Judas had been masking fell from his face, and his emotions finally broke through a facade of cement and concrete. This was the moment when a jackhammer ripped open his chest and his heart began to pound for the first time in his life. This was when he finally stood up for something, and to even stand up for himself and his wrong. This is when Judas ran!
Judas, however, made the wrong decision. Instead of confessing his sin to God, he ran to the temple and expressed his remorse to the Sanhedrin---as if they could fix his sin against God. When they rejected his confession, Judas, hopeless and helpless, resorted to his world of loneliness and hanged himself. He offered the Sanhedrin the thirty pieces of silver, which they declined because that was blood money, and, being such, they could not accept because that would have been unlawful. To them, their murder of Christ was justified leagalism, for they were all about law and not about mercy and grace.
Perhaps, too, Judas never knew that the conspirators had killing on their minds. Perhaps Judas was under the assumption that they merely wanted to have a chat with Jesus in an effort to persuade the Lord to stop His preaching and teaching. Thus the conspirators used Judas in the same way that Judas used others. Judas had therefore been deceived, just as Judas had deceived others throughout his whole life.
Judas could have been born again in Christ Jesus, but he sold his birth certificate to heaven for thirty pieces of silver, for money was his treasure. Knowing this, Jesus made Judas one final offer on the morning of the Lord's cruicifixion. Jesus called him: "friend".
The life of Judas Iscariot was a life of total deception: for his heart was totally evil, from which he could not be converted. And while Jesus was shedding His blood for the sin of the world, Judas Iscariot was experiencing eternal damnation of his soul.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10: 9)
Amen.
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