Not that close
- AfraOpoku
- June 2, 2025
- Uncategorized
- 0 Comments
He’s a scary example.
A hair’s breadth from grace, his heart remained far away.
Judas.
One of the twelve
One of the chosen
One who decided to go against God even though he had been with God.
Think about it.
We read the miracles in the bible.
He lived those miracles.
I’ve tried to rationalize his behavior.
I just can’t.
Especially after Passover night.1
He had already decided. Before that night, Judas had taken payment. 2
In a lot of ways, he was far gone.
Even so, he could have backed out – especially when Jesus called him out.
The other disciples had no clue who was going to betray Jesus and our Lord intentionally kept that information from them while ensuring that Judas knew.3
Like everyone at the table, he pretended to ask who the betrayer was, and in spite of God giving him a direct answer, he went ahead anyway.
Most people back down from evil when they are caught.
Not Judas.
At best he could have disappeared into the night and let the Pharisees figure out how to identify and arrest Jesus on their own.
He could have repented and returned the money before the deed was done.
He didn’t.
That should scare those of us in church.
In today’s world, the sinful are unapologetic when it comes to their stance.
Turn on the internet and you have scores of those denouncing Christ for whatever reason.
It’s easy to tell where such people stand.
What’s hard is looking for evil in the pulpit, or the choir, or the church board.
In church, we’re all blended in.
Judging from Judas, people are capable of holding a bible in one hand and a knife to stab it’ s author in another.
No one calls out these people, because no one sees.
The nudging of the Holy Spirit doesn’t move them.
Eleven disciples abandoned Jesus in his hour of need, but only one was premeditated4
In the heat of the moment in fear of their lives, the other disciples disbanded.
Judas was not a heat of the moment decision.
Judas was about as premeditated as could get.
I don’t understand Judas.
Even less, I don’t understand the mercy Jesus extended, by letting him know his defection was no secret.
Then again, grace is to be accepted and not necessarily understood.
In the same way, grace will never be jammed down anyone’s throat.
The thief on the cross who spent a few hours with Jesus saw enough to change his mind and grasp life in his final moments.5
The man who had years with grace turned his back and got condemned to perdition.
It’s scary because when Jesus says there will be those who claim him on the judgement day who he denies, it speaks to the fact that Judas remains in the church.6
I don’t know who he is.
I do know I need to regularly search my heart so he’s not me.
God will speak in His house to those who claim him, genuine or not.
May we heed His warnings before it’s too late.
Being close doesn’t always translate to being close.
Grace will run out someday.
God will one day close the books.
May we have our names in it.
1 Matthew 26v 21
2 Matthew 26 v 14-16
3 Matthew 26 v 25
4 Matthew 26 v 56
5 Luke 23 v 42 – 43
6 Matthew 7v 21