Thursday, October 11, 2012

Doomed to destruction

I spent some time last week looking at Jesus' prayer in the Garden. He prayed a lot of incredible, painful, wonderful things.

But I was moved especially by one item: "While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

The sadness overcomes me thinking about such a waste. This man who travelled with Jesus for as many as three years, three Passovers, a couple of Pentecosts, nights out on the mountains, days on the hills, in rain and wind and drought, was lost.

The entire notion saddens me when I think about what he saw, then what he missed.

None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction. Those words are, I must admit, fingernails on a spiritual chalkboard. Doomed to destruction? Did Judas have a choice at all? Or was he, in fact, doomed to destruction from the beginning, or even before his beginning since God knows us in our womb?

I'm afraid in the end these questions are far above my pay grade. I don't know if Judas had a choice. I don't know if he could have stepped aside, and if he did, would someone else have HAD to do the deed. I don't know why he couldn't bring himself to ask for forgiveness before committing suicide by hanging.

I just know the inherent pain and sadness I feel for this man, as dastardly was his act, for in him, I see myself unfortunately. I see the pain I inflicted on Christ. I see the suffering I caused him on the cross. I see the nails that were mine, the thorns that were mine, the spear thrust that should have been mine. I see it all, and I am near weeping.

None were lost except the one doomed to destruction, indeed. Isn't that ultimately all of us? And only the one who can save us does? Isn't that the truth of the Gospel?


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