Thank you, Judas

Acts 1:15-26 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) and said, "Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus— he was one of our number and shared in this ministry." With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

"For," said Peter, "it is written in the book of Psalms,
" 'May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,' and, 'May another take his place of leadership.' Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection." So they proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. Then they prayed, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs." Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.

Good Morning! Notice with me how Peter takes the leadership role and launches right in to the business of replacing the disciple Judas, who had betrayed Jesus to the Roman authorities, and then hung himself. Peter seems to dominate the story of the spread of Christianity in the first half of Acts, leading, serving, working miracles and preaching with authority. . . is this the same Peter who heard the cock's crow ring in his ears?? Changed by the risen and ascended Lord. Peter shores up this need to replace Judas by quoting from the book of Psalms, so he was obviously well-versed in Scripture. (Having Scripture committed to memory is a powerful resource) The qualifications are noted for the selection of the apostle: must have been with Jesus since Jesus' ministry began through the time He was taken up into Heaven. Matthias is chosen through prayer, and casting lots. (from this point forward, the Holy Spirit could be sought for direction, so there would be no further mention of casting lots or of Matthias either, for that matter)

We get a little insight here about how hurt the disciples were by Judas; after all, he had betrayed Jesus, but that meant turning his back on them as well. At the time of the betrayal, there was so much going on--arrest, trials, worry for Jesus--not too much time to think about all of the relational implications of Judas' actions. But, could we consider this for a moment? Betrayal is painful, sometimes excruciatingly so. The word "betray" is a verb--an ACT of disloyalty. Of course, there are varying degrees of betrayal, and the most painful is a betrayal by those whom we love--those who are supposed to love us. Like Judas. After betrayal has occurred, we aren't sure we will ever be able to trust again. We aren't sure about things we used to be sure about. We become very suspicious. Lies have been told. . . promises broken. . . people proven to be untrustworthy. And yet. . . without learning to trust again, we kill off a part of ourselves.

So what can you do about betrayal? 'Seems to me there are two simple things:

1) Become a person of FAITHFULNESS - You can choose to grow your own character to the point that the fruits of the Holy Spirit are part of who you are--Galatians 5.22 - One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is faithfulness. When you are faithful, you will not be given to betrayal; you will be loyal, constant, and trustworthy--so that is where we must start. The fruits of the Spirit are proof that we take our relationship with God seriously, and our lives are witness to our integrity, including faithfulness. What else can you do to move past betrayal?

2) Become a person of FORGIVENESS - I believe in order to trust again, you have to be released from the prison of unforgiveness-----no one can unlock the door, and let you out----the prison door of unforgiveness can only be opened from the inside. Only through the power of forgiveness can you heal the pain of betrayal. That sentence is carefully worded; there is power in forgiveness.

☁Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself. If you claim to be a Christian, then you know how much you have been forgiven; and discovering your ability to forgive others is a gift that frees you up. . . yeah, it releases you from a prison of hard heartedness, and allows you to begin to trust again.

☁Forgiveness grows your faith - it says that God is God--He knows, He sees, He will be your justifier. Despite what someone has done to you, acknowledge that your betrayer needs the same mercy God has shown you.


☁Forgiveness is a gift you give to others. Free them to move beyond the betrayal.

Besides, there is no better alternative than forgiveness! Revenge may seem satisfying, but is not helpful in the long run, and doesn't do much to help you heal. Recently, a Johns Hopkins University research study found that the most destructive emotion to our physical health is the desire for revenge. And as you and I both know, holding onto anger prevents people from experiencing peace and wreaks havoc on everything in their lives.

So in consideration of Judas and his act of betrayal, we do well to see what we can learn about moving past it through forgiveness. Thanks for the lesson, Mr. Judas. Grace, Christine (DiGiacomo) espressocd@cox.net or facebook: Christine Todd DiGiacomo