There's more than one Judas....

Good Friday is the eternal reminder of the depth of Christ's sacrifice on our
behalf. On the way to the cross of Christ, the people, teaching and events of Holy Thursday can get lost in the Holy Week shuffle.
Holy Thursday is the opportunity to remember that Jesus was betrayed by one of his inner
circle. That's very sobering to me. He wasn't betrayed by pagans or
unbelievers. He was betrayed by a disciple---a disciple He had chosen and
called --- a disciple who had left everything to follow Jesus. A
disciple who was so trusted that he was the treasurer, the keeper of the
money. And, at some point in Judas' discipleship, something went terribly
wrong. And the double tragedy is that he realized too late that he had
done something terrible and it was too late to make it right. That is one
of the saddest stories of all.
I think we have Judases in the church today, too...
One of the greatest gifts of Lent is its insistence on honest self-examination.
Christian faith-at its best-never loses sight of the temptation of humans
to stray from God's best. Through the ages, people have come up with all
kinds of speculation about what went wrong with Judas. We would rather
talk about Peter or John or Andrew or someone else among the twelve. The
awful truth of Holy Thursday is that something disappointing went on with all
of those closest to Jesus. They all let Him down. Judas betrayed
Him, the disciples fell asleep on Him when He asked them to stay awake as He
prayed in Gethsemane, Peter denied Him and they all deserted Him-a very sobering,
unflattering picture of those who were closest to him.
Holy Thursday is the time for who are close to Jesus to personally and
prayerfully reflect on our capacity for sin. What a blessing it could be
for us to remember that good people-- Christ-following people-- have the
capacity to make terrible choices that have drastic, destructive
consequences. And, while missing the high calling of love by an obvious mile, folks -- often folks who are longtime church members--are absolutely convinced that they are right in what they are doing.
Our United Methodist emphasis on continued growth in
holiness is anchored in the reality that all of us can be Judas. That is
why accountability is such a high priority for United Methodists. No
longevity of church membership, no level of financial contribution, no title
of church office exempts anyone from the need for accountability. At its
best, the healthy practices of our denomination help everyone keep check on the
ego and complacency and our destructive tendencies that are common to
all. Being honest and aware of the sin-capacity in every disciple can be
just the foundation we need to stay grounded in the humility that can be a
correcting lifeline.
Maybe the most astounding gift of Holy Thursday is that the failure of the disciples did
not stop the giving heart of God. Even though the Scripture is clear that
Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray Him, Jesus did not let that stop Him
from washing Judas' feet. And after the disciples fell asleep on Him in
the garden, Jesus did not give up on them. After Peter denied Him and the
disciples abandoned Him, no human failure stopped Jesus from giving His life
for our redemption. We dare not take that for granted.
The Holy Thursday invitation is the challenge to radical, personal
honesty about the ways that we are capable of getting off track. Just
because we are following Jesus doesn't mean that God will find us doing the
right thing. The honesty/ humility check is vital in every
stage of the Christian walk. Holy Thursday is also the invitation for
disciples to receive and extend the love of Christ which transcends the
worst of human sin. Jesus loved those who hurt him most deeply. On
this Holy Thursday, can we do the same?