THE BIBLE: Double-Agent Judas Iscariot

Floater Judas' betrayal kiss

    
     I am anything but a theologian. I have read through the One Year Bible numerous times, have attended church regularly for over 30 years, and I have watched The Passion of the Christ and other Bible movies.

     As I reflect on Judas Iscariot, a person who walked with Jesus, and daily heard His many teachings... how could he have been so wrong? 

     I see Judas as a double-agent or floater... he is part of two main "camps." He is: 1) a Zealot, and 2) one who associates closely with Jesus as one of His disciples. Jesus clearly fails to meet Judas' expectations; Jesus is supposed to overthrow the Roman government.

     Judas has a distorted lens. He identifies with both Jewish Zealots and Jesus; and, he colludes with High Priest Caiaphas. Maybe he is trying to force Jesus to "play the Kingdom card."

     My teacher husband (also not a theologian) explains to me the beliefs of Calvinism (including pre-destination, see blue below), which differs from our beliefs, and other prominent positions. We turn to Wikipedia for this complex table (too complex for me!):

Prominent Protestant Beliefs on Salvation

Topic	Calvinism	Lutheranism	Arminianism
Human will	Total Depravity without free will permanently due to divine sovereignty	Total Depravity without free will until spiritual regeneration	Depravity does not prevent free will
Election	Unconditional election to salvation with those outside the elect foreordained to damnation (double-predestination)[35]	Unconditional predestination to salvation for the elect	Conditional election in view of foreseen faith or unbelief
Justification	Justification is limited to those predestined to salvation, completed at Christ's death	Justification by faith alone, completed at Christ's death.	Justification made possible for all through Christ's death, but only completed upon choosing faith in Jesus
Conversion	Monergistic, through the inner calling of the Holy Spirit, irresistible	Monergistic, through the means of grace, resistible	Synergistic, resistible due to the common grace of free will
Preservation and apostasy	Perseverance of the saints: the eternally elect in Christ will necessarily persevere in faith	Falling away is possible, but God gives assurance of preservation.	Preservation is conditional upon continued faith in Christ; with the possibility of a final apostasy.

    
      Was Judas pre-destined to be the betrayer? I know he was an independent thinker. He bought into the angry-zealot role rather than Jesus' teachings on the power of love. In his thirst for notoriety, he became a Caiaphas-puppet with a Pinocchio-distorted face protrusion. THE BIBLE's dark, sneaky portrayal is excellent, revealing a short-sighted, striving, selfish treasurer.

     Caution! This paragraph and the next contain deep, speculative ideas that turn "Daisy Downer": I wonder if Judas had a heightened, egocentric, unfulfilled "purpose-thirsty" filter that propelled his notable suicide? Maybe he was crying out...   "I sooo cared!! I was trying to free the Jews!! I was never appreciated!! I will demonstrate my pain, for everyone to see!!!"    ...disillusioned, tunnel-vision statements that scream angry, hopeless...

                                                               I, I, I's.

        My response to Judas is complex sorrow. Complex because of his duplicitous betrayal of Jesus; sorrow because he was an emotionally-tortured soul. Why didn't he instead valiantly die, attempting to save Jesus? Instead, he brazenly chose the theatrical statement of suicide; the ultimate display of control, anger and escape. 

       For those left behind, suicide creates unimaginable and sometimes inextinguishable guilt, grief, as well as so many unanswered questions.

I CAN'T WAIT! 12-21-2012

  This is a somehwhat progressive blog. Feel FREE to begin by clicking to my first post: Boologging Begins

 No more counting down to 12/21/12. In many parts of the world the 21st is history. Now it is time to think about 12/22/2012. We celebrate my grandson's second birthday, and I'm glad the world isn't ending! We have special plans which include a lighted backyard bench and a birthday video. I CAN'T WAIT! 

This entry should be posted on the 23rd, on Sunday, but I am early... because... I CAN'T WAIT!!

We were WAITING just 2 years ago for our Christmas baby's birth. During the months leading up to December I posted Facebook pictures of the size of the fetus at weeks 8, 9, 10 and so on. Grandchild #1 was due on December 19th, and I couldn't wait to meet the little life my daughter was incubating; waiting to touch and count his 10 precious fingers and toes. 

Maybe I was (and still am) grandchild-consumed because I am grateful to even be alive after staring death in the face and surviving. In 2006 I was diagnosed with stage 2, grade 3 aggressive breast cancer. After prayers, surgery, chemo, and medications, I see every special and wonder-filled moment as a bonus gift.

We arrive to the snowy, slick 2010 Chicago suburbs late on December 20th, Momma's spirits are anything but cheery after doctor's orders of: No inducement for another week.

She is ready to pop. So, to distract her, of course we head to the Gap; and fortunately we are all spared slipping on the black ice that had surprised a few shoppers just ahead of us! Just 17 hours later labor begins, and 7 hours after that, we energetically welcome our healthy, 7 lb. 11 oz. Christmas gift.

Christmas and waiting go hand-in-hand. I guess that is part of the fun. Traditions create the festive drama. Dad was not a handyman; but somehow, for Mom, he outlined our home's roof with lights. We drove miles and miles to cut down a live tree; ethereal Mom always selected the saddest, most crooked trees. Wires were painstakingly threaded through curtain rods and wrapped around the skinny, upper tree trunk to make it stand up. 

Creative Mom hand-sewed an advent calendar for the 6 of us to take turns placing tiny, hand-made ornaments onto. Treasures like that accentuated the 25-day WAIT. On Christmas Eve, I lay in bed, eyes wide open, earnestly waiting for the midnight "Ho, ho, ho" from Dad for the mad dash to see our gifts. Mom knew that none of us would sleep a wink if they saved gift-opening time until morning.

WAITING... for Christmas and for babies... are special and hope-filled times; WAITING... for my 2006 cancer surgery was not. I would have done almost anything to numb my thoughts as I waited endless days AND a few scary nights for surgery:  Is cancer spreading to other parts of my body through my lymph nodes? 

That question would be answered post-surgery; and it seems appropriate to WAIT, until Part II, to share my surgery results...

Another thing for which I am grateful: Hope-filled holidays.

Just two more posts and this commitment will be fulfilled. I will be FREE of this two-blog-a-week commitment! Part II of this post is planned for Wednesday, December 26th, but might come earlier, if I CAN'T WAIT... Deo Volente.