Thursday, February 11, 2010

Day 42 Two people who turned their backs on Jesus

Matt 26 & 27 Peter and Judas
Peter denies knowing Jesus and when the rooster crowed thrice, "he went outside and wept bitterly". The reality of denying Jesus hit him between the eyes and pierced his heart. He felt dejected as he rejected Jesus. His was a spur of the moment, not knowing what to think - under pressure type rejection the night when Jesus is arrested.

Judas, his was a more thought out plan. He began plotting before the passover meal, just after the woman with the alabaster box broke the perfume on Jesus's feet. The disciples were indignant and Judas takes the emotion of the disciples and goes to the chief priests to conspire against Jesus, for a price of course. Was his thought process spurred on by the popular opinion of Jesus and he found a way to capitalize on this and get some money as well? We will never know.

Matt 27 3-5 "When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. "I have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood." "

Judas had a very narrow view of what the Jews would do with Jesus. What did he expect to happen? Unfortunately, he couldn't retract his betrayal. The chief priests used his sense of remorse to remove their complicity and responsibility in all that was to happen to Jesus. His exaggerated sense of responsibility led him to hang himself - hopeless with no way out. The chief priests played a shrewd game with Judas. As Pilate later washed his hands of the blood of Jesus, here the chief priests do exactly the same using Judas's greed as their way out.

"What is that to us?" they replied. "That's your responsibility." How many of us have heard and believed a similar lie? We do something that is questionable, something we are not proud of and those who encouraged us in the wrong path - point the finger and there we are, Guilty as charged, and we condemn ourselves to hopelessness for a life time.

Peter found that Jesus was forgiving and merciful, Judas was not that fortunate and ended his hope of a resurrection to life.

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