Judas has a pretty bad rep.
His name has become synonymous with betrayal.
As I reflect on the course of events, that literally rewrote the story of humanity so many centuries ago, I can’t help wonder what on earth Judas was thinking.
I find it hard to imagine how desperate and greedy someone could be that he sold his allegiance to a rabbi he had followed so closely for 3 years for a bag of silver (suggested to be worth around 6 weeks wages)?
Of course some of the gospels record there being a spiritual element to the betrayal. And of course spiritual dynamics don’t always makes sense. However it would seem often the spiritual and natural overlap.
Considering some of the context of these events I find I may be able to identify with Judas more than I would like to admit.
- Israel was occupied by Rome.
- Israel longed for a saviour to overthrow Roman rule and restore their freedom.
- Israel’s hope of a God sent Messiah who would restore God’s Kingdom on earth had become intertwined with their hope of freedom from Rome.
- Judas’ last name ‘Iscariot’ hints he likely had connections to a revolutionary group actively seeking to free Israel.
I imagine if you had spent a lifetime longing for freedom, when Jesus rode into Jerusalem, Israel’s centre of power, with hundreds lining the streets waving palm branches, throwing their cloaks under His feet and shouting Hosanna, the atmosphere must have felt electric. Not to mention how exciting it must have been when Jesus, as the gospel of Matthew records, went all out rockstar and started over turning the tables of the market place at the temple. I’m getting excited just writing about it!
However instead of a revolution following, things just sort of slowed down and Jesus went back to hanging out at dinner parties. How disappointing?
Of course that’s not where it ended, but I think many of us can identify with the emotional wrestling match between hope and disappointment. Perhaps many of us can identify with making rash decisions in these kind of moments. Perhaps some of us may even be able to identify with falling for half truths and lies in these kind of moments. Our minds can go to strange places as we wrestle between hope and disappointment. Places like, “maybe if Jesus is arrested it will force His hand to finally get this revolution off the ground?”
Who knows what was really going through Judas’ mind but as I reflect on his story I am reminded how often impatience trips us up. The story of Abraham’s decision to pursue the promise of God through an alternative avenue resonates with this train of thought, and it’s clear from that story little good comes from rushing God’s timeline.
As a side note, every year I am always amazed, moved and challenged by how gracious Jesus is as he confronts Judas and highlights he knows what is about to happen.
So as we celebrate and remember the events that rewrote the story for humanity, long may hope win over disappointment! Long may hope prevail!