Christian Counseling Service -- Devotions

Later, not sooner

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Philippians 2:9-11
God greatly exalted Jesus and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord."

Matthew 26:14-15
One of the twelve disciples went to the chief priests and said, "What are you willing to give me if I hand Jesus over to you?" They paid him thirty pieces of silver.

Judas looked at the money in his hand and wondered if he was doing the right thing. He looked at the faces of those priests. Their eyes were opaque. He could read very little in them. But he knew they would arrest Jesus and seek to kill him. He also knew Jesus would not let that happen.

Of course he was wrong. He missed some very clear signs Jesus gave his listeners. Judas got caught in his own thoughts and stopped listening. He must have needed Jesus to help him with his own agenda. And in this case, Jesus just would not let that happen.

How much does Jesus love Judas? As much as he loves you and me. As much as he loved his mother Mary. As much as God is love, Jesus is too.

But that only mattered to Judas later, if it ever did. He saw things out of the corners of his eyes. When Jesus taught his disciples to sometimes be as shrewd as snakes (Matthew 10:16), maybe that wasn't so hard for Judas. He was, perhaps, a master of innuendo and sarcasm and irony. He knew how to use rhetorical questions to protect his self-righteousness. He might have made a great talk show host on late night American TV.

Not such a great disciple. He only discovered Jesus' love once he was utterly destroyed, and dead on a tree. Course I don't know if he did then, either. He's not been here to tell us. Judas exalting Jesus? I can only hope so. Knowing Jesus, I think so.

Let my life be like a love song, Jesus. You sing that song to me, teach me to sing it out to you.

Devotions Archive

Later, not sooner

Sunday, April 17, 2011