Judas divides people...

 

Judas divides people.  Well, that was my experience over the cornflakes this morning!  Let me explain.

I was talking about writing this blog over the breakfast table earlier on.  I said that I find Judas impulsive, wedded to ingrained ideas about Messiahip, someone who spent three years hearing Jesus teach but not truly listening to his message.  Judas seems to think there is just one way to bring in the Kingdom and it's his way.  Of course, in all of this, he is probably reminding me of someone very close to home - myself!! 

As I said all this there came a grunt from the other side of the weetabix!  My wife said she thought I was being far too harsh and before the marmalade was on the toast I was told why!!

Her take is that Judas was intensly sincere and that he was passionate about the freedom and liberty he saw at the centre of Jesus' message.  And that what he was doing was no more than 'pushing' Jesus forward.  The fact that he was so remorseful in the end shows a heartbroken man who realised he'd let his best friend down.  This Judas deserves our compassion.

When we lived in Yeovil we'd sometimes go into St John's Church and look at the Apostles' window.  Eleven had white halos above their heads, Judas had a black one.  Did he deserve it and what colour would be above ours - if there was one there at all?

Yes, Judas divides opinion.  Yet come to think of it, Jesus did too and even today the question still lingers as to what exactly is this 'Kingdom' of which he talked.