GodReflection: A Brand-New Life And Have Everything To Live For.
Judas Iscariot, unlike Jesus’s other eleven Apostle, failed to live into his potential. His name Judas comes from the Hebrew name “Yehudah,” which means “to be praised” or “the one who is loved.”
Iscariot, his last name probably comes from his Judean hometown Kerioth, (man of Kerioth). Like John, he too is the one who Jesus’s loves—however, unlike John, Judas fails to grasp the wonder of his gift from Jesus.
Judas Iscariot—Mister Money Bag, is always listed last in our list of the first twelve Apostles. We really don’t know much about him. The Apostle John reveals he was their treasurer, “as he had the money bag, he used to take what was put into it.” (John 12:6). Which sounds like he enjoys a source of “extra income” to help cover his expenses at his own discretion.
Always thinking he can use “just a little more” he is willing to disclose Jesus’s Garden of Gethsemane location to the chief priests and elders for a price of thirty pieces of silver. These “Godly religious leaders” arrange for the armed guards to go with them in the early morning to Gethsemane to arrest the man who invested three years of his life into the one who betrayed him.
In contrast to Judas’s evil actions for the night, Jesus has spent his night in prayer with Father God on behalf of the other eleven Apostles after he had met with them and Judas for his last supper prior to his death.
Matthew, the businessman gives us the back-story that sets up Judas’s arrival in the garden when he identified Jesus for the authorities with a kiss and addresses him as “master.”
When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, “As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”
Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. “But not during the festival,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.”
While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. (Matthew 26: 6-7).
The Apostle John many years later reflects on this night and the expensive perfume. He now understands all that really took place and records it in his Gospel account.
But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why, wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. (John 12:4-6).
Doctor Luke’s account tells us that the other eleven Apostles agreed with him about the loss of the perfume. However, the difference being the other eleven remain faithful and didn’t give in to Satan. Yet Judas Iscariot as “keeper of the money
bag” must have thought, “yes, this perfume could have been sold and made more money available for my own use should I need it”. But Judas Iscariot has another way to get money.
Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So, they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over. (Matthew 26:14-16).
That story by the Apostle Matthew brings us to the account of Jesus’s final supper with the original twelve Apostles. So, Jesus sends some, or all of them, to make the arrangements. At this point, I doubt Judas bothered to go with them.
On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”
He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” So, the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. (Matthew 26:17-19).
One of the saddest statements in Holy Scripture is when the old reflective Apostle John allows us to enter the room and overhear Jesus’s disappointment as he laments what has happened to Judas Iscariot who failed to trust him and live up to his potential.
After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”
His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.” Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”
Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered him.
So, Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night. (John 13:21-27 and 30).
It was night indeed. Jesus’s disappointment in his chosen Apostle is acute. Darkness covered Judas’s soul. Rather than “the praised one”, nothing in him was left to be admired—he has failed Father, Son, Spirit. Unlike Jesus’s other eleven Apostle, who believed his promise of A Brand-New Life And Have Everything To Live For, Judas failed to believe that promise and failed to live into that promise.
I invite you to join with me as we pray 24/7 to keep trusting Jesus and never betray him. Remember, we have A Brand-New Life And Have Everything To Live For. Let us live each day into that promise.
Stay tuned.
Gary J. Sorrells
A GodReflection: Judas Iscariot Mister Money Bag.
God Reflection 