Holy Week 2009 – Wednesday – Spy Wednesday

Greeting Dear Readers,

I do not wish for my title to seem humorous. This is an ancient name for this day of Holy Week and is intended as a pejorative at Judas. Of the twelve apostles Judas is the one with whom I would most like to have lunch. I want to ask some very pointed questions. I do not want to condemn him or in any way minimize that he was a thief and that he was disobedient.

I do, however, wish to put forth that from the resources he had, he was a man of faith. It is like that Judas may have believed more strongly than any of the apostles that Jesus was who he claimed to be. We all love a villain in our stories and Judas makes a great one.

The point is that we do not know what the intent of his heart was. For centuries he has been judged and villainized but have we clearly looked at things from his point of view. He saw Jesus heal people, create food, and raise the dead. He heard Jesus teach and lived with him daily. He had the experience that so many of us wish for in that he saw Jesus face to face, spent time with him, and needed no evidence of his deity.

Judas was a Zealot. He also hated Roman occupation. He loved his nation and was willing to use Jesus to free it from Roman rule. It seems that Judas did not intend for Christ to be beaten, scourged, and crucified. He tried to intervene. He attempted to stop the events that unfolded from his actions.

Do we dare to judge Judas? Is our sin less than his? Recently someone, still unwilling to admit the depth of his sin pleaded with me to see it as at least “understandable.” Given where he came from, Judas’ actions were understandable. That makes them no less wrong. There was not a moment where God was not in control.

Perhaps we need to see that Judas was trying to get Jesus to act like God. He knew who Jesus was and put him in the center of the political storm that was Jerusalem’s rulers. He had seen Jesus move through angry crowds untouched and counted on him to do the same. He wanted the conquering King who was promised by the prophets. Judas like so many others wanted Christ to destroy his enemies so others would believe.

Do we dare, so far from the events and with our limited data judge Judas? Should we not instead realize how often we hand Jesus over when confronted with the choice to obey or not to obey? Perhaps we should realize that even though we believe we often try to use Jesus to our own ends and ponder just how close we are to Judas. As Christ goes to the garden to pray are we with the armed crowed coming to take him by force, are we the sleeping apostles, or are we the one who will kiss his cheek and hand him over to his enemies trying to fulfill our own purposes?

Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn