Have you ever made a decision & immediately felt guilt or shame thinking, “Man, why did I do that?!” Or maybe it’s not immediate, but rather a sinking feeling after the fact?
I sometimes wonder if that’s how Judas Iscariot felt right before he hung himself on a tree. Or maybe how Peter felt after he denied 3 times that he knew Jesus.
I think it’s easy to sit in judgement of Judas, but it quickly dissipates when we remember this:
Every time we choose our will over God’s, we liken ourselves to Judas the betrayer.
It was the evening of the last supper that Jesus predicts the betrayal of Judas. Greatly distressed, they all ask, with panic in their voice, “Am I the one, Lord?”
I’m sure they felt great relief when He reveals that it is Judas & yet they all would betray Him - some slept as He wept, some fled in fear & even passionate Peter denied he even knew Jesus.
I’ll be honest…sometimes, my heart aches for Judas. I can’t imagine the deep despair he felt after he realized that he sold his Savior unto death. He even tried to give the coins back, confessing that he lied, but the Pharisees replied, “What do we care? That’s your problem.”
My heart aches for Peter too. I’m sure his heart sank to his stomach the moment the rooster crowed, realizing he fulfilled what Jesus predicted.
Y’all we have all been like Judas or Peter or any of the disciples when we’ve deserted Jesus to go our own way.
When we realize our own propensity for betrayal, it makes it far easier to forgive those who’ve betrayed us. We are not the sum of our choices. Our identity is not what we’ve done. There are consequences to our choices that may impact us for a lifetime, but our identity can become what HE’s done!
We have a Savior who allowed himself to be sold for the price of a slave so we might be free to follow Him.
I don’t know about you, but when I realize the much I’ve been forgiven, I don’t want to be like the disciples wondering, “Am I the one, Lord?”
Jesus, help us…every time we give into temptation we deny You. Every time we choose our way, we desert You. Every time we we follow the lure of wealth over the wonder of You, we betray You. Help us choose Your Will & Your Way!
February 9th One Year Bible Readings
Exodus 29:1-30:10
Matthew 26:14-46
Psalm 31:19-24
Proverbs 8:14-2
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