Tag: Matthew 26

Backchannels and Backstabbers

Matthew 26 and Mark 14

Devotion by JJ Fletcher (Minnesota)

People are complex. We have ideals that we want to live by, but often fall short and fall into patterns of behavior that disgust us. I’m sure all of us want to live like the gospel is the primary motivator for our lives. We want to care for others, we want to honor God and Jesus with our behavior, and we want to shine the light of truth into a dark world. We hit speed bumps, we have a bad day, someone slights us, and we are consumed by disappointment, anger, or frustration, and take our eye off the ball.

We want to honor God, but we also want to be comfortable. We want to be well off financially or to be perceived in a certain way, and we sometimes will slide into behaviors that are focused on taking care of our needs and desires rather than building God’s Kingdom.

Sometimes fear is a motivator rather than hope. How will people view us if we stand out as different from the status quo? What if the movement or organization that we are a part of falls apart? Will we be seen as a failure? Will we be shunned? Will we suffer the same defeat or demise as those whom we have followed or associated ourselves with?

In Matthew 26, we are in the lead-up to the Passover celebration. While this is in view, Jesus also knows what is about to happen… His arrest and execution.

The Pharisees are frustrated. They have been seeing Jesus grow in influence and popularity, which in turn has diminished their influence and the perception that they are the leaders and influencers of the Jewish people. They confront Jesus constantly, yet they are no match for his wisdom and insight. Jesus, in his spirit-filled wisdom, always has the upper hand over the Pharisees, who seem far more interested in discrediting and diminishing Jesus than actually considering that he may be the Messiah. They want to remain the thought leaders of the people, and Jesus is putting the kibosh on them.

As I’ve already brought up, Jesus is popular, and if the Pharisees were seen to be actively trying to dispose of him, they would face some severe backlash. With Passover just around the corner, they see the need to be careful. There are extra eyes everywhere as people have come into Jerusalem to celebrate. So, they start plotting how to secretly apprehend Jesus and quietly have him put to death. They want to make it seem like this is not of their doing, but how? They are dealing in back-channel communications to figure out how to proceed. A golden, or maybe silver, opportunity will soon present itself.

Enter Judas. He’s been with Jesus through the thick of his ministry. But Judas perhaps is not a fan of Jesus’ teaching on wealth. No one is identified specifically in Matthew 26:8-9, but I wonder if Judas is a driver of the indignant attitude of the disciples about this valuable ointment that Jesus is anointed with. In John 12, we are told that Judas would help himself to the money that was collected, and the sale of this ointment would give him more funds to dip into. Judas doesn’t care about the poor; he cares about himself. Judas sees the success of Jesus’ ministry as an opportunity to enrich himself. Perhaps Judas does believe that Jesus is who he claims to be, but he is motivated by his own desires, and this gives an opening for some back-channel dealings with the Pharisees. Judas goes to the Pharisees in secret and asks how much of a payoff they will give him if he delivers Jesus to them. What a backstabber, the ultimate betrayal. Jesus, of course, knows this is going to happen, which must make his preparations for the upcoming events even more brutal to contemplate.

Peter is bold. But he’s also kind of a coward. Jesus knows this. Deep down, maybe Peter knows this, but he’s not willing to cop to it. When Jesus is about to be arrested, Peter is willing to go on the offensive in the moment; he’s willing to go down to protect Jesus, but after Jesus is arrested, Peter has time to think, and he perhaps ponders what will happen to those who were closely associated with Jesus if he is convicted and executed. He ends up denying Jesus as his fear gets the better of him. A bit of a stab in the back to Jesus.

Both Peter and Judas fell into the trap of doing what they saw as best for them, rather than what was right. Judas ends up committing suicide; he can’t live with what he has done, or the repercussions of what this will do to his standing and life outlook. Peter, however, finds redemption. Jesus gives him three opportunities to affirm him, and after Jesus ascends to heaven, Peter becomes the primary leader of the church. Never again will he deny Jesus; he will die for the sake of the gospel. 

Reflection Questions:

1.        In what ways have you experienced failures in your walk? What has allowed you to overcome failure and not let it defeat you?

2.        How can we navigate our pride and celebrate the successes of others, rather than act like the Pharisees and look to undermine or defeat others? How can these attitude dynamics make or break a church? 

3.        Can you think of some ways that help set you up to put faith before your wants and superficial needs?

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Too Scared

Old Testament: Zephaniah 1-3

Poetry: Psalm 140

*New Testament: Matthew 26

I am writing today’s devotion for those that consider themselves strong in their faith.  I’m talking about those of you out there that know there is nothing anyone can do to mess with your salvation.  You are going to stay faithful to the end no matter what may happen.  You just know you would never turn your back on God.  If Peter were around today, I am sure he would say he was in this group, but he surprisingly was not able to keep his word in the past.

In Matthew 26, Jesus was explaining to the disciples at the last supper that they were all going to fall away on account of him.  Peter spoke up and said that even if everyone else falls away, he never would.  I am sure Peter believed that with his whole heart, but then Jesus described how Peter was going to deny him three times that very night.  At that point, Peter did not politely agree with Jesus; instead, he doubled down on the fact that even if he had to die with him, he would never disown him.  The rest of the disciples then said the same.  So what happened?

Jesus was arrested after Judas betrayed him with a kiss.  A large crowd came to arrest him, and all the disciples deserted him and fled.  That didn’t take long.  They were too scared to stay with Jesus even though they said they would never do that just a few hours earlier.  Peter followed Jesus at a distance, but we know he was confronted three times that night and disowned Jesus all three times.  Why?  Because he was too scared.  He was tipped off it was going to happen that way so he could have been prepared to deal with it, but his fear made him act differently.

Would you be strong enough if you were in the same situation as Peter?  I hope so, but how strong is your faith now?  Does fear ever get in the way of you doing something that should be done?  Have you invited your neighbor to church yet or are you too scared?  Maybe just haven’t gotten around to doing that yet, wink wink.  Are you willing to stick up for some kid at school that is being picked on or are you scared what people might think about you?  Is there a ministry at church you might be good at, but you are too scared to give it a try?  Is there a family member, co-worker, or friend that needs to hear about Christ?  If fear is holding you back in any of these situations, join the Peter club.

I honestly think if you had enough guts to deal with any of these situations, it would probably turn out well, or at the very least, not that bad.  You may get rejected or have people ridicule you, but you may also save a life for eternity.  I am always surprised what risks people will take to save a life for a handful of years now (running into burning buildings, etc.), but they are unwilling to put themselves out there when trying to save lives for an eternity.

Do you know who was really scared to do something he knew needed to happen?  Jesus.  He prayed three times for God to come up with a plan different than him having to die for everyone’s sins.  He was so scared that he said in verse 38 that his soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.  He absolutely did not want to do what he was supposed to do.  But in those same prayers, he said he would follow his Father’s will, not his own.  Did the situation turn out to be easy and he was just over-thinking it?  Nope.  He had to go through a terribly painful death.  He was definitely scared, but he wasn’t too scared to do the right thing.

So those of you with the strong faith, Jesus gave you the example to follow.  Is there someone you need to talk to?  Make it happen even if you are scared.  Is there a ministry waiting for you?  Volunteer for that even if it makes you sweat.  Jesus saved a bunch of lives by facing his fear and acting.  Hopefully, you can help save some lives too.

Reflection Questions:

Is there something you should be doing for God that you have put off?  Do you make excuses so you don’t have to admit you are too scared?  Or maybe just try not to think about it?

It’s easy to put things off until later.  Is there anyone in your life that you waited to talk to, but now it is too late because they are gone (died, moved to a different state, got a new job at a different company, etc.)?  If so, how does that make you feel now?

-Rick McClain

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Still Loving the Unfaithful

Today’s Bible Reading – Matthew 26 and Exodus 1 & 2

                I hesitate to write very much about Matthew 26.  I would much prefer that you spend your time reading Matthew 26 than whatever I have to say about it.  It is a very emotionally powerful story about love and betrayal, desire and surrender.  Read it slowly and soak it in.  What is God saying to you as you read through the text?

                One thing that stood out to me was Jesus’ warning in vs. 31 that they would all “fall away”.  Two things I note about this.  First, Jesus knew that one of them would betray him, another would deny him and the rest would abandon him after he was arrested. Jesus knew this and yet he still broke bread with them.  Matthew doesn’t include it but we know from John’s telling of the story that Jesus also washed their feet.  It would be hard to wash someone’s feet even if they aren’t about to betray or deny or abandon you, yet so great was Jesus’ love for them that he did this for them knowing full well that they would be undeserving.  Paul would later write to the Romans that God showed His love for us in that “while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” (See Romans 5:8).

                The second thing I notice is a recurring theme that keeps emerging in each day’s readings so far this week.  In Matthew 24 Jesus warns that many will fall away and that they should stand firm to the end.  In Matthew 25 Jesus warns that many will be unprepared (without enough oil to keep their lamps lit), lazy (burying their talents instead of working for their master till he comes), or apathetic (not caring about “the least of these” enough to help those in need.  Each of those stories is a warning about falling away from faithfully following Jesus.  Now in Matthew 26 Jesus explicitly says that they are all about to fall away.  But he still washed their feet.  He still gave them the bread and wine which symbolize his body and his blood.  He still loved them.  Jesus holds out hope for them that after he has been resurrected he would meet them in Galilee (vs. 32). 

                Jesus knows what it is to be human.  Jesus knows what it is to have great intentions like Peter “even if everyone else abandons you Jesus I never well” and then to fail miserably in no time.  Before the sun rose the next day Peter had already broken his promise to Jesus and denied three times that he even knew Jesus.  Jesus knew Peter meant well but was a weak and fallible human being, as they all were and as we all are.

                Who among us hasn’t made a new year’s resolution and before the month of January completely broken it?  Who among us hasn’t made a promise to a friend or loved one and failed to keep that promise? Who among us hasn’t made a promise to God that we would “Never” do that sinful thing again, and by the time we woke up the next morning we had done the sinful thing again? 

                Jesus knows how sinful we are and how sinful we will be, yet he still loves us, he still washes us (not just our feet but all of us in baptism) he still gives us his body and his blood and he still sets an appointment to meet us after the resurrection.  Does Jesus want us to fall away?  Of course not.  That’s why he warns us every way imaginable NOT to fall away, NOT to fall asleep, NOT to deny him, NOT to abandon him, NOT to fail to care for him by caring for the needy, NOT to run out of oil, NOT to bury our talents in the ground.  He wants us to stand firm to the end and not fall away.  But he knows that some of us will and he knows that all of us will mess up, but he still loves us.

                I can assure you, even though I’ve been a follower of Jesus for 46 years and a pastor for 35 years, I still mess up.  I’m still tempted by greed, by pride, by lust, by selfishness, by bitterness and hatred.  I’m thankful that I’m one of those sinners for whom Jesus died, and you are too.  Don’t fall away, but if you do, come back to the loving arms of Jesus.

-Pastor Jeff Fletcher

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The Heart of a Traitor

Matthew 26

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I have often heard that there can be no forgiveness for Judas. After all, Judas committed the worst crime imaginable; he delivered Jesus into the hands of the executioner. Not only did he betray his closest friend, he sold Jesus for the price of 30 silver coins. People estimate this to be worth anywhere from $90-$3000. If you ever watch crime shows, you know that $3000 is a miserly sum to ask for a task such as that. This just shows how greedy Judas was. In fact, in John 12:3-6, we see that Judas frequently steals from the money box. Judas is the one who was upset with the woman who poured the expensive perfume on Jesus’ head. He claimed that he wanted to give the money to the poor, but he actually wanted to take some of the money for himself. According to some, these sins aren’t even the worst that he committed. The worst sin was denying forgiveness.

I want to challenge this idea. I believe it is entirely possible that Judas could have been forgiven and we will see him in the kingdom of God. In 1 John 1:9, it says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Did Judas confess his sins? We can read in Matthew 27 that Judas “was filled with remorse.” He even declares openly to the priests, saying, “I have sinned.” Judas confessed. Is God not faithful and just? We know that he is, so there must be forgiveness available even for Judas.

Mark 3:28 says that “all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven.” Now we must ask, did Judas blaspheme the Holy Spirit? First, we must determine what it means to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. In Catholic teaching, six acts constitute blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and three of them could apply to Judas, those being despair, obstinacy in sin and final impenitence.

To despair is to believe that your sins are beyond forgiveness. It’s hard for me to say that this applies to Judas after he returned to the priests and tried to return the money. He was seeking forgiveness and the priests turned him away saying, “What do we care? That’s your problem.” If anything, this is a sin by the priests for refusing Judas the support that he needed. The argument that Judas did despair is that he proceeded to hang himself. Why would he do this if he believed that he was forgiven? This is a fair point, but once again, this seems to hang on the priests who refused to tell him that there was forgiveness for his sins. Perhaps Judas despaired, and perhaps not, but I can’t see his heart. Only God can.

Obstinacy in sin is the persistence in sin even after sufficient admonishment. It appears as though Judas was persistent in his greed and thievery, seeing as John wrote about it. Here, there are a few questions to ask. How much is too much to be forgiven? How long had Judas been doing this? I can’t answer either of those questions. I personally believe in change of heart. Even if Judas had been continuing in this sin for a long time, he could have had a change of heart once Jesus was sentenced to die and he realized the error of his sin. Thus, he sought forgiveness. This question leads to another, more philosophical question: Can a man who has lived his whole life in sin receive forgiveness in the last moments of his life? Once again, I don’t have a firm answer, but I tend to believe that obstinacy in sin isn’t even a blasphemy against the spirit. If one sin can be forgiven, then two sins can be forgiven. Jesus said to forgive others 77 times. He also said if you forgive others, our heavenly Father will forgive us. Hence, we can receive forgiveness for the same sins over and over. It’s never too late to receive forgiveness.

The final blasphemy is final impenitence. This is the only one that I could see applying to Judas. Impenitence means failure to repent. Did Judas fail to repent before his death? I think not because of the way he sought out the priests, but once again, I don’t know Judas’ heart. Only God does.

Either way, if Judas is guilty or forgiven, I think it is dangerous to talk in terms of absolute forgiveness because in the end, we are not the judges. God is.

-Nathaniel Johnson