Text: Luke 22:1-6
Do people generally turn away from a chosen path all of a sudden, or is there a pathway which, though clearly discernible in hindsight, was faintly manifesting itself over a period of time?
The motives of Judas have been speculated upon frequently. He might have grown weary of the pace with which Jesus was going about this kingdom business, or may have concluded that it wasn't going to happen after all and Judas would force his hand. Or maybe he had been found out by Jesus in his theft from the money box. But it seems unlikely that he made a sudden turn against Jesus which did not have a history to it.
Most, if not all of us, have had experiences in which we found ourselves to have denied our knowledge of Jesus in an insufficiently guarded moment. It's an awful feeling when we recognize what has happened. This, however, was not of that kind. This was premeditated and deliberate turning against the Lord for his downfall. He took risk himself in approaching the council; he plotted with them, knowing they would take him into custody. Perhaps he had no notion that they intended to kill Jesus. But he accepted payment for his plan and later carried it out. This sort of sequence does not result from a spur of the moment disappointment.
Scholars and pastors, lay leaders and average Christians alike have been known to deny the faith and turn against Christ. They provide what they believe to be valuable information to discredit the faith and the Lord in whom it is centered. Seldom, if ever, do they intend such a course in the beginning. But something changes, maybe a disappointment in they way God does or does not order the affairs and circumstances of life, maybe a refusal to disavow a sinful habit or attitude. And instead of choosing to confide in the Lord himself or one of the brothers in whose company we serve and worship, one takes the frustrations to those all too eager to receive the news that faith has failed. When we cannot comprehend the work of God we must not conclude in anger that He is not in fact at work. We can and must take all doubts to him directly before they grow into the bitterness which does not ruin Jesus but may destroy our own souls.
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Well said. Aren't we all a little closer to Judas than we would like to admit? I know I personally have a list of ways that could improve his performance, at least according to my standards (more fireballs, please). You rightly point out that the real issue isn't the content of these doubts or perceived disappointments, but how we deal with them. Shortly after 9/11 I wandered into a field late at night and laid out a series of complaints before the "Big Man." Amazingly he didn't answer with any defense, but eventually led me to be at peace with the fact that he knows what he is doing. He alone can do this for us.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the insight and the sharing of that experience. I have this nagging suspicion that if God would tell us of His reasons for acting and not acting in different circumstances, we'd be inclined to then question the adequacy of the response; we'd have alternative proposals for accomplishing anything and everything. God, in the terms of C. S. Lewis half a century ago, will not be put "in the dock." Instead, he sends Christ to answer evil by yielding to all it could muster, and triumphing over it. When we're "in Christ" we share in the triumph.
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