Devotional Tuesday

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! (I Corinthians 10:12)

His resume as a follower of Jesus was really quite impressive. He voluntarily gave up his chosen profession, and stood by Jesus' side for three years. When the so called 'disciples' who followed Christ for the free food and magic show ditched Him when he started making demands, this person stayed the course.
As a matter of fact, of all the men whom Jesus chose to be one of the 12, this man was the most likely candidate to succeed- and (oh!) the things he saw during those 36 months. The sick healed, the blind given sight, the storm calmed, the masses fed, and the dead raised again. He walked with Jesus, broke bread with Him, laughed with him, and wept with Him.
Which is why it may come as quite a surprise that the last words Jesus ever spoke to Him were:

"Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" (Luke 22:48)

On Palm Sunday, Judas was cheering for Jesus with the enormous crowd. After all, he was excited about the popularity of this miracle-working teacher. Only two days later, Judas agreed to betray Christ with a kiss.
How could his attitude have turned so quickly from dedication to deceitfulness? The same reason that ours does: disappointment. Judas (like the crowds) was quite sure that Jesus would conquer those nasty Romans and put Israel back into the number one ranking again. Surely after the big parade He got on Sunday, He would respond on Monday with an unprecedented heavenly strike of Biblical proportions, right?
But Judas and the crowds didn't get their way, and within one week their cheers for Hosanna changed to chants of hatred.

History hasn't treated Judas very well since that day. He's always the ugly one in paintings and movies about Jesus' time. I've not come across any parents who desire to name their children after him, and in fact I've never even met any people who would name their pet after him (come here Judas! Come boy, sit, sit...) Yet before we point the finger at him, let's consider our attitude towards Christ when things don't turn out our way: questioning, complaining, mistrusting, even willfully rejecting.

(Come on Lane, are you saying that if we betray Christ, we hurt Jesus like Judas did? What an overstatement!)

For it is impossible to restore to repentance those who were once enlightened--those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come-- and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people to repentance again because they are nailing the Son of God to the cross again by rejecting him, holding him up to public shame. (Hebrews 6:4-6)

This week, consider deeply where you stand with the Savior. Don't praise Him with your lips on Sunday, and then betray Him with your actions Monday –Saturday. Most importantly, don't ever think that you couldn't fall into the same trap as Judas, for it is then that you are only one step away.

P.A.