Many years ago a man began to follow a
great teacher. The reasons that this man
began to follow the teacher we do not know.
Still there was something in this teacher that seemed special because he
treated all people so fairly. It might have been that this man struggled with
the issues of unfairness, justice and hypocrisy in the world he lived in. The teacher he was following; stood up to
those in authority and the teacher loved the poor in sincere ways unlike so
many other teachers. The man admired the teacher because of the teacher’s
living faith shining through loving and compassionate ways.
This man became part of elite group of
followers who were allowed to travel with this master teacher and privileged to
special teachings along the way. In
fact, this man was put in charge of the money for this group of followers. The days became months and the months became
years and countless amazing events were seen by this elect group. This man saw many healings and, heard the
pure teaching about God. He enjoyed the benefits of traveling with this chosen
group and being led by such a special teacher. This teacher seemed to have a
unique ability to help people sense that as God was worshiped in your heart;
your actions would follow that change as your heart changed. Old wooden and
stale religion could be now be replaced by a new and living faith. The teacher spoke of days to come when the
world would be changed as well. The teacher spoke of changes in a kingdom and
the man began to believe this teacher might be the Messiah.
Still somehow and somewhere as this man
learned from the teacher, confusion began to enter this man’s heart. The teacher began to do strange things which
this man could not understand. There was a recent incidence when the teacher
let a woman wash his feet with costly perfume.
This was an injustice, with so many poor surrounding them on every side,
needing food to eat. That jar of perfume could buy food for very large group of
people. Later, just when it seemed this special group of followers would assume
a significant role in a new government, the teacher began to speak of leaving
them. These things did not make sense.
He tried to question the teacher but his
thoughts were ignored by the teacher and ridiculed by the others around
him. This man became bitter and angry
towards the teacher. Ironically in his
heart, the teacher’s words about anger, burned and stung when he remembered the
teacher had spoken of anger as being a step towards murder. His mind was filled
resentment and as the rage started to build, he wanted nothing more than
getting even with his teacher. All this
talk from the teacher about a change of heart was not helping anyone change
their plight in life and these arrogant Romans around them were just getting
more demanding. Somehow this follower
needed to get back at the teacher and teach the teacher a lesson. At an evening supper together … the teacher
peered directly into this man’s eyes, as he told of someone betraying him; the
man burst out with this questioning statement “Is it I?”
From then on, everything becomes a
blurring and escalating series of events.
There are bargains and embarrassments, weapons and kisses, anger and
beatings, remorse and heartache, frustrations and trials and finally an outcome
that would bring death to the teacher. The man ultimately feels remorse at his
hand in this tragic ending and takes his own life. This man was close to
finding life but ended up choosing death as decides to he take his own life. Who was this man and why did it end this
way? This man drifted around the Light
of the world but in the end flings himself into the darkness. The man is Judas
and forever he is known as the betrayer.
There is another story unfolding during
the Passion Week and it elicits thoughts of another failure is many ways, but
this story doesn’t end in hopelessness. It is the story of Peter, another
follower of the Teacher. In a brutal
way, one is the story of a sinner lost in the darkness of their own sin. The
other is a story of failure redeemed in hope wrapped around the same events of the Passion, Death
and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. There
are two betrayers in the week surrounding the season of Easter, but only one
finds the hope in the dying, risen and forgiving Savior. Judas is no more evil
than any other sinner before or after and Peter is forgiven of nothing more
than any of us have done in our own lives or will yet do.
In the crux of the life that we all
live; we all listen to the stories and lessons that Jesus the Teacher tells us. We all
can hear of the way He loves, we all can sense the compassion He has for
everyone but only those who know Him as Savior and Lord, have the life that He gives now
and for eternity. A life full of grace poured out upon any that will come to Him. A forgiveness for all our failures. A grace we cannot understand it because it is just too amazing for any of us, as
sinners to fully describe. Jesus Christ is a Savior and King who desires all people to become His children and gives to His children indescribable riches of
His love. This is not just a story, it
is the truth. It is the truth lived out
and fulfilled in the events of the Passion week with an abundant love given for all people to become His followers. A gift to live
all out, all of our days, in a life, overflowing in grace sufficient for every one of our failures and to come into His kingdom now and forever. “Thanks be to
God for his inexpressible gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15, ESV).
No comments:
Post a Comment