Judas and forgiveness

What wondrous love is this?

Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.

Ever wonder about Judas? Ever wonder how much of his mistakes, how much of his betrayal, was his own? The old "did he have a choice," question.

The Bible says of him, "That's why Satan entered Judas, the one called Iscariot. he was one of the Twelve. Leaving the others, he conferred with the high priests and the Temple guards about how he might betray Jesus to them."

Now, this man has the worst of all reputations. This man betrayed. This man led Jesus to, at the least, his trials if not his crucifixion. This man. Judas.

So why do I have a drop of sympathy for him?

Maybe it's because he is no different than I. I betrayed my Jesus. I still do. I'm not perfect and every sin goes right onto the shoulders of my Lord on the cross. Like Judas, all of us are guilty. Like Judas, all of us at some time thought we were doing the right thing. Like Judas, we all thought we would be better. Like Judas, we all need a savior.

Perhaps one of the saddest of events was Judas coming to his senses, or Satan leaving Judas a broken man, or whatever the case might be. He realized what he had done to his friend, his Rabbi, his Lord. And he was infinitely broken.

And all he had to do was ask for forgiveness.

Those of us who have experimented in brokenness, who have delved into bottoms, who had fallen like Judas, know that turning to Jesus and asking forgiveness isn't easy, but it is all worth it.

Oh, but that Judas had realized.