14 Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?” And they weighed out thirty pieces of silver to him. 16 From then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Jesus.
We live in a fallen world, as fallen individuals. Judas represents to us the worst of the fall. Yet, at a very deep, in fact, core level, there is a Judas in every one of us. And if the circumstances were right, each of us, but for the grace of God, would imitate the betrayer’s actions.
Consider Adam and Eve in a perfect, well-provided environment—they wanted more than God’s abundant supply. Consider Abraham who had the promises of God for a multitude of descendants, betraying his wife by portraying her as his sister when he feared the king’s threat on his own life. Consider King David’s brazen violation of God’s commandments in his adultery with Bathsheba, murdering Uriah and deception in covering up his sin (sounds like a modern day politician!).
The Scripture abounds with examples of the hard cold truth of what Jeremiah wrote so long ago, “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it?” (Jer 17:9). The Psalm writer puts it this way, “God has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there is anyone who understands, who seeks after God. Every one of them has turned aside; together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one” (Psalm 53:2-3). Paul applied it this way, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23).
The story of Judas strikes terror in our hearts because it could so easily be any of us. Our expression of rebellion against God may not look the same as Judas’, but every time we deliberately sin, do what we know is wrong, or not do the right thing we should do, we are in effect betraying God. Sin, at its core, is a betrayal of God. We are willing to sacrifice the glory of God in us, as His image bearers, for the sake of some self-satisfying sin, some enjoyment of “spiritual endorphins.” Do you doubt this? James says, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all (James 2:10). We, whom Christ has befriended, when we sin, cause Him to suffer disgrace before Satan, the unseen world and before other image-bearers of God.
But … praise God for His unmatched grace toward us in that “while we were [and are still] sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8).
Lord, thank You for saving me and keeping me despite my rebellious heart. Your love is so amazing.
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