9-1-23

Sep 1, 2023

I believe that every word in the Bible is true. I believe the Bible has no errors and is the true and living word of God. There are times in the Bible that it seems we are not getting enough details on a particular subject. However, I believe that, since God wrote this book, he added exactly what he wanted and left out exactly what we don’t need to know.

This is true of the story of Judas. We don’t know a lot about why Judas betrayed Jesus. Theologians speculate, but they can only guess. I used to think it was because the money was so great, it meant more to him than the man that he had traveled with for three years. However, now I realize that the 30 pieces of silver he received were only enough to pay for a slaves’ burial. Obviously, he was not actually getting rich. So, why does Judas betray Jesus for such a small payment?

For nearly 3 years, Judas lived with, ate with, and traveled with Jesus just like the others. Just like the others, he watched as Jesus performed miracles, healed people, raised them from the dead, and yet somehow the knowledge of who Jesus truly was, did not seem to have infiltrated Judas’s heart.

I have met people who seem to have the heart of Judas. Not so much because they betray anyone, but because they do not seem to grasp who Jesus is, even though they have grown up in church. They have “been around” Jesus all of their lives and have seen the difference He can make in lives, yet, they seem to be unable to give Jesus a real place in their heart. It seems they are like Judas. They like the “nice” man who Jesus is, and they are willing to take any good thing that He has to offer, but only at arms’ length.

Coming to Jesus, turning everything over to him, giving him lordship of your life is a little scary, but it is only then that you can open your heart to who Jesus truly is and what he can truly do in your life. We all know a “Judas”, but I do not mean the betrayer, I mean the man who missed the mark of heaven, by missing who Jesus truly was. Don’t be that person. Don’t miss heaven! The risk is too great.

Shirlene Peterson