Misjudging Judas
This being Holy Week, I’m contemplating things regarding the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. I do believe He came. There is more historical documentation (secular included) to prove His life and work, than that written of Caesar!Recently, the website went through great upheaval regarding it’s spirituality forum. I have plenty of thoughts on that, but one thing I felt directly is that of being misjudged. It’s a terrible feeling. From the collapse of the forum, there were more than a few members that wanted to totally give up, not just give up the website, but give up their lives! I began to think about Judas Iscariot.Judas Iscariot was the apostle that “sold out” Jesus Christ to the Romans. Recall “thirty pieces of silver?” Everyone calls him a traitor, a despot bent on destroying Christ through his own greed.I don’t think so. I don’t believe that is the case.Judas’ family name is Iscariot. The Greek for that name implies “sword” or more closely “dagger.” The family was named for fighting, and was probably good at it in their history. This is what they were known for, settling problems through the dagger. This could have been in his genes so-to-speak, and could very well have been the reason that Christ called him. He had a special purpose to Christ.
I believe that Judas was thinking that Christ was going to take over the kingdom, right there and then. Well, actually, most of the people did. (Even the King going back 33 years, when he thought he had killed all the male children 2 years and younger.)
What did anyone realize of a heavenly kingdom? They were thinking physical.
So here was Judas, specially selected for who he was, and he gets this opportunity to allow Christ to show His power and take over the throne! I’m sure he thought, “aha! Here I will put this plan into motion, the Romans will come to the garden where I will point out Christ to them, and when they go to arrest Him, he will cut them down and march proudly into Jerusalem and take over!”
That’s the way he thought, I am pretty sure. He had no idea that his plan was being used by God to provide the sacrifice for the sin of the world. He no idea that his personal plan would fail, and he would be seen as a traitor, not a soldier in Christ’s army.
So he did his deed. Hadn’t Christ Himself, at the (last) supper tell him to go to it? He had eagerly left and put the plan into place. When the soldiers found them later in the garden, Judas kissed Jesus in greeting, pointing Him out to the soldiers since Christ looked just like the rest of them. But alas, the plan began to go awry. Christ rebuked the attacking of the soldiers, and went willingly with them. Judas didn’t understand and later went and threw the money back at the feet of those who had bought his services. And do you know what he did next?
He hung himself.
How terribly sad for him. He felt so wrong. He didn’t understand God’s plan for Christ, His Son. He knew Christ was the Savior, I believe he believed in earnest. Otherwise, what happened would not have affected him so deeply. He didn’t give himself time to discuss it and work through it with the other disciples. He didn’t give God time to show him the reason for his actions.
Yes, even to this day there are thousands of people who misjudge Judas. And he was just being used by God through his natural inclinations as an Iscariot.
May we all realize that each and every person has a path to take. No one is better than another. We are all on our own journeys. Some are farther along their path than others. Yes, some are on the wrong path altogether, but even that doesn’t make them less worth our love. And no one is beneath God’s love. May you find Him this season.
May 6th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
I have to say wow. I enjoyed reading this entry very much. I just kind of wandered here; but, I too have been questioning things relating to traditional views. For example I don’t think there is a “hell” anymore. I feel that it is faulty to say “God is all-forgiving” and then say but he punishes those who do wrong or what not by damning them to hell? It just doesn’t make sense to me. If indeed he is all-forgiving and it is true that anyone can be forgiven by the sacrifice of his son, Jesus Christ, then why is their a need for this “hell” and it does really exist and what is said in the bible is true, wouldn’t it be the “fallen angels” who reside there among them Lucifer? I know it goes against my religion being brought up Roman Catholic, against a lot of what is a core belief. I still consider myself a catholic or more accurately atleast a christian; but, I do not believe in the existence of hell because it says everyone can be forgiven. I do not believe that even people like Charles Manson are really evil, I just think they were doing what they thought was right, regareless if we think it was wrong or not (which I am not saying it was right; just that it was his reality that what he was doing was right). I must tell you originally I decided to deny the existence of hell to justify suicide; but, now it is for a different reason altogether. What do you think?
May 6th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Danielle again– sorry, I wish to include my id if u will: evildouble102
Thanks
August 3rd, 2008 at 9:58 am
Hell was not originally created for mankind. When Lucifer, the greatest archangel in heaven, allowed his power to go to his “head” so to speak, and determined he would be God, he sinned. A third of the angels in heaven followed him. God could not, and can not, allow evil in heaven in His presence. God threw them out of His heaven, down to the earth.
Man was created to bring fellowship to God. Not like the angels who served Him, but someone with a free will that would honor and serve Him because he wanted to…which is exactly why Lucifer, who’s newer name is Satan, was able to con man into also sinning against God. Because of that, the hell that God created for the fallen angels, now also will hold those who rebel against God’s perfection and love.
Without the saving grace of God, without accepting God’s love gift of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection to cover our sin-through-birth because we are of Adam, a sinful person, we cannot enter heaven. Without Christ, we would end up in hell, the place created for the fallen angels.
BTW, there is more written historically about Christ and His life and miracles, than there is about Caesar who lived at the same time. You don’t doubt Caesar lived, do you?
It is only man’s (woman’s) pride that keeps him from accepting God’s love, and His way of getting to heaven. It isn’t a requirement that He created because He is a demanding God. It’s a way He provided at high cost, to counter what evil did to His creation…so that we may still live with Him in heaven. God is all about Love. He is Love. Don’t resist His Love. This isn’t about hatred or a vengeful God wanting anyone to “jump through hoops” for His pleasure. It’s about His providing a way for eternal happiness, which is what He desired for us in the first place.