Luke 22:1 – 6 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.
The only word I can think of when I read this passage is evil. Truly, we can see the powers of darkness at work here. The chief priests and teachers of the law were whispering and plotting. Judas, who always lived on the edge of darkness, was easy prey for Satan.
There are a couple of things that strike me about this little snapshot. First of all, the chief priests and teachers – the church people – were whispering and gossiping and planning and plotting. And the sad thing is, they probably thought they were doing the right thing. After all, they thought Jesus was a heretic, and they didn’t want Him to corrupt the good, God-fearing Jews. And when they were presented with an opportunity to destroy this man, they were delighted.
But honestly, folks, have you ever seen anything good and pure and holy come from whispering and plotting and slandering and gossiping? Have you ever seen anything lovely and right come from secret meetings and phone campaigns and negative, critical, clandestine e-mails flying around?
No, I didn’t think so. And these were supposed to be holy men. They should have known better.
But it happens in churches all the time.
Another thing I noticed was how easy it was for Satan to just enter Judas, and take over the situation. Satan fears Jesus. He stays away from Jesus. So it stands to reason that Satan would have avoided those people who stayed closest to Christ. But Judas . . . Judas was another story. Judas was never really close to Christ, though most would have thought he was. After all, he was one of the twelve. For all appearances, he was one of Christ’s most committed followers.
But though Judas may have looked holy and spiritual, he wasn’t. It was all a cover for a selfish, self-serving spirit. Judas didn’t care about pleasing Christ or being holy – we already know he sneaked around and stole money that was given for ministry purposes. Though Judas was physically near Jesus, he wasn’t close to Jesus.
Satan saw his opportunity, and he took it. This whole situation eventually led to Judas’ destruction. But do you think Satan cared? No. Of course he didn’t.
And friends, he will do the same thing with me and you. It doesn’t matter that we get dressed up and go to church every Sunday. Satan is very cunning, and he knows our weaknesses. Though the whole world may think we have it all together, Satan knows. He knows when we have drifted from our Savior, and he will pounce and destroy, without a second thought for our well-being. After all, why should he care what happens to us? He hates us.
He hates us, and he fears Christ. The closer we stay to Christ, the safer we will be from Satan’s destruction. I don’t know about you, but I want to stay where it’s safest. And the only way I know to do that is to maintain a constant, daily relationship with the Lord. Talk to Him. Listen to what He says in His word. Follow His leadership.
And I can guarantee He won’t lead us into any whispering gossip-fests.
Dear Father, I want to stay close to you. Please help me to do that by spending time with you every day. Walk with me, Father.
Amen
Thank you, Renae. Great lesson. I just wonder exactly what was going through Judas’ mind when he sought out the chief priests and teachers to betray Jesus. Was there any hesitation, any second thoughts? It doesn’t sound like it. They say love is blind, but it looks like sin is, too.
Dear Renae,
You always provide for more than coffee.
Judas, I’ve always felt sorry for that man.
He was chosen by Jesus, he had seen the greatest wonders, but he fell.
He fell so low that we all – rightfully- condemn him.
He, who for lust of money betrayed his best friend and savior,
he threw the 30 silver coins away, crying;
“I have betrayed innocent blood.”
And he hanged himself.
He realized and repented his sins.
Many in the whisper/gossip club neither repent nor feel any guilt.
They are mislead to believe that they are better than their poor neighbor. And they inflict horrible damage.
I pray God deliver me from evil and from doing evil.
From Felisol
Hi Pam! Yes, I think you’re right. Sin can and does blind us, and it is only by the grace of God that we can see its destructive power in our lives. But the good news is, to ANY who seek Him, He gives them the right to become His children; and then, by His grace, we can see what He sees.
Felisol! So wonderful to see you! Yes, I feel sorry for Judas. But for the grace of God, the rest of us would be in the same boat. And you’re right, those who whisper and gossip and slander have haughty spirits, and many of them never see that the true problem lies within their own hearts, not with the one they are whispering about.
Satan is compared to a cat because he hunts like a cat. He crouches, isolates his prey from the pack and then attacks. But we are not unaware of his schemes, Praise God! We need to be alert and always close to our “herd” and our shepherd.
Great example, Anne! Thanks! That paints a great word picture.