Which do we embrace? This is what was “stirred up” in the people of Jerusalem:
some still wanted to follow Jesus; others were out to destroy Him. It is all
relevant because we face the same stirring and the same choice. It is not as
stark and dramatic as what led to the crucifixion, but we are choosing all the
time whether we will follow the Lord or put ourselves first and turn away from
Him.
It was while eating the Passover with His disciples the night before the
crucifixion that Jesus was betrayed by Judas. It is fair to ask: How could anyone
who had followed Jesus as one of His disciples turn on Him so suddenly and
so completely? And why did God allow it? It is because He loves us enough, of
course, to give us free will – even the freedom to go against His will. Judas felt
free to decide for himself what to do, and thus became the ultimate symbol of
what not to do.
It is significant that Jesus did not stop Judas from what he was about to do,
but did make him think about it – so much so that after Jesus was crucified
Judas flung away the silver he was paid and hung himself in shame. We are
also asked to think about what we are doing – to examine ourselves at this
compelling time of year and do what we can to make better choices to become
better people.
It is also a time to recognize how the Lord works with us. He doesn’t stop us
from acting against His will, but He does ask us to stop and reflect on the love
and wisdom involved in choosing to follow Him. As repulsive as the betrayal
is to us, we may all have a bit of Judas in us whenever we turn away from the
Lord, often without even thinking about it. But He never turns His back on us.
He is always reaching out to the “better angels” within us and raising us up.
Indeed, He offered that hope during the Passover, just after Judas had
sealed His fate; but He still included Judas in His invitation: “Then He took
the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of
you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the
remissions of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from
now on until that day when I will drink with you