Judas wanted the yoke of Roman slavery lifted. I’m sure he believed that freed from the oppression of the Romans, his life and the lives of his countrymen would be immeasurably improved. And why wouldn’t He think that’s what Jesus was going to do, after all what’s a Messiah for but to make your life better? I wonder if the Apostles ever sat in prison and played a 1st century version of David Letterman’s Top Ten titled “Our Top Ten Misconceptions of What We Thought the Messiah Was Gonna Do”? I am reasonably certain that before the crucifixion they were not thinking that prison time and repeated floggings were going to be in their future. Toss is running from the authorities and eventually martyrdom for most of them and I wonder if in their human moments they didn’t find some humor in it all. I think Judas betrayed Jesus because he [Judas] was frustrated at Jesus slowness in moving to boot the Romans and take the throne. Of course Jesus had every intention of freeing Judas from slavery. A slavery far worse than that of the Romans which was sin.
The Israelites had a different idea of being released from slavery than God did when they were called out from the land of Death (Egypt). Once out of Egypt they lost no time in whining about the route. “What do you mean we are at the edge of the Red Sea and the entire Egyptian army is on our heels? Hello? Moses? What kind of opium are you smoking? Did you think this through?” They didn’t care for desert fare either. “What do you mean we are having manna again?” They complained about the leadership, they whined about not having water. In short their idea of being liberated from slavery was very different than God’s. God wanted to strip them of the vestiges of their old life to prepare them for life in the Promised Land.
And I’m not any different. Whenever we demand that God remove the earthly irritants instead of focusing on our liberation from slavery, we step right into the shoes of Judas. Too often I hear preachers (link is just one example of a “prosperity gospel”-type message) and believers claim scriptures and demand that the Lord prosper their earthly kingdom.
“Whatever he does shall prosper” (Ps. 1:3). This includes everything: your family, your children, your marriage, your business, your ministry, your job, and your health. It means God intends what He says: everything shall prosper.
I am just like Judas each time, I focus on my earthly kingdom instead of God’s heavenly one. Lord, help me to pick up my cross and follow you. If my sickness, or humiliation, or bankruptcy or any other earthly difficulty will further the kingdom, give me Your Grace to bear it. Let it be done to me according to thy word.
