At some point, we all do it. We compare. For good or for bad. Maybe it’s material possessions. It could be gifts or talents. The success (or failures) of our kids. Or SIN. Well, that’s not exactly the subject you wanted to read about today. It’s also not the subject I necessarily wanted to write about either. But here we are.
I went to see the final episodes of Season 5 The Chosen on Friday afternoon. Because I’ve read these stories in the Bible multiple times over the years, I was mostly familiar with how this would play out before my eyes. What I wasn’t prepared for was how the character of Judas unfolded.
If you’ve seen any of this series at all, you know that they’ve stayed very true to the biblical text. However, they’ve also taken clues from the stories and developed the personalities of each character. Many of us have found ourselves claiming, “Peter is my favorite” or “I absolutely love Matthew”. Some trait of each disciple resonates with me; it’s brilliant. And then there’s Judas.
Although I’ve understood for many years that we’re all like Judas at times, I didn’t expect to be so deeply convicted by his character. The writers brought ideas to mind that made me much more sympathetic to him. What if………….??? The Bible doesn’t tell us all of the details (and for good reason). For those of you who haven’t seen these episodes yet, I won’t spoil it for you. But WOW!
How much like Judas am I? Where is the tension that exists between what I believe or know and what I experience? When those things intersect, what happens? Does my faith fail or does it become more deeply rooted?
I will likely never understand the full scope of the experiences of Judas and I’m okay with that. I have enough problems of my own. I know enough about myself to know that at my worst I’m capable of the very thing Judas did. And at my best, I’m only who I am because of Jesus.
I Timothy 1:15 ~ The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.