What Would Judas Do?

The scene is set in an upper room with Jesus and his disciples reclining at a table eating supper. Most likely conversations and discussions were ceased when Jesus arose from the table and ""laid aside his garments; and taking a towel, He girded himself about."" Jesus then went around the table washing the feet of every disciple there. This was an act that not even the lowliest servant had to perform so it left the disciple astounded and confused. Yet Jesus reassured them and washed their feet. This action, which is recorded in John 13, is truly one of the most amazing accounts in the gospels for several reasons. However, our focus now is on one man in particular who was at that table, a man named Judas Iscariot.

Judas was the man that betrayed and sold out Jesus to the Pharisees. He had this in his heart during the washing of the feet that Jesus performed. The usual lesson we take from that is how great Jesus is by washing the feet of the man who knew would be his betrayer (Jn. 13:2). Let us reverse our thinking and imagine how Judas could let Jesus wash his feet when he knew what he had planned, and apply it to us and young people.

At first the thought of any man letting Jesus our Savior humble himself and wash their feet all the while knowing he would betray him hours later is astounding and baffling. Yet what we do not realize is that when continue in sin we are the same as Judas. Of course we cannot sell him out to the Pharisees but we still betray him after he humbled himself more than any other could, by dying on the cross. We try to imagine how a man could stare Jesus in the eyes and act as if nothing was amiss and as if he was truly caring and obedient to the Lord when sin had a better taste to him. To try to understand better what Judas was thinking just ask yourself what you think when you about to partake in sinful activity? How do you justify it? We, of course, cannot see the Lord's face before we sin but we know He is there and He knows the secrets of our hearts (Psalm 44:21). I believe on Sunday during the Lord's Supper our likeness to Judas can really shine through. Just as we take the Lord's Supper so did Judas. Are we then like Judas? Do we take the Lord's Supper and act as if all is well but in our hearts there is brewing deceit and sin? Do we just follow through the routine and listen to His words just to have them bounce or fall off us when we leave the church building? Something to perhaps help us would be to imagine looking in our Saviors eyes when we partake of the bread and cup. When you close your eyes and meditate on the Lord's sacrifice, imagine His eyes and know that he knows our sins just as he knew Judas' (Jn.13:2). Still, He washed his feet and still He died for us. Most likely we are like Judas in that we are not an avid follower of Satan's ways but we all to often fall short of the glory of God and do not try as hard as possible to right our wrong. We listen to the Lord's words yet only follow them half heartedly. Judas and us, all too often would be compared to Laodecia in Rev. 3:14-16, where they are said to be lukewarm ""neither hot nor cold."" God's rejection is a fate worse than any other ""For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it and to turn away from the holy commandment delivered to them."" (2Pet. 2:21)

Not all of Judas was evil just as were are not all evil either. But sin is such an ongoing enemy that creeps in us all, even into a man that walked and talked with Jesus in the flesh, that it requires deep thought and comparison. In the final say of things Judas realized the awful sin he committed and felt remorse and gave back the money and then hanged himself. We as young people can learn from him and see that we should have remorse and repent of our sins, determined never to commit another. Suicide is not the way to make it right with God but through prayer and studying we can prevent becoming like Judas and secure our place in heaven.