Amazing Grace
I’ve been reading through Matthew the last while and loved that my reading serendipitously correlated with Easter. Sometimes the stories we love best are so familiar it’s easy to just read over them, the familiar words a gentle cadence.
But this time when I got to verse 3 of Matthew 27 I was stopped short by how horrified Judas was when he realized Jesus was about to be condemned. I can’t even imagine how stricken he must have felt.
It’s easy to think of Judas as the bad guy. We don’t read a lot about him. He’s not outspoken like Peter. Not a super close friend like John.
But hardly was he some evil monster or he wouldn’t have been called to be one of the twelve.
Judas heard the the quiet call of an itinerant preacher and followed.
He was sent out with the other eleven to preach and heal and cast out devils.
Judas wasn’t evil, but he had a sin nature. Just like you and I do.
He sinned. Once in particular. His love for money grew bigger than his love for Jesus.
In a moment, he sold Jesus for thirty measly pieces of silver. The Jesus he loved (just not as much as money). The Jesus he has followed and learned from. He’s watched Jesus feed the five thousand and escape from angry mobs.
Maybe he thought he could have Jesus and money, too. Maybe he thought he could be Jesus’ friend and simultaneously betray him behind his back without repercussions. Could he really have watched Jesus talk to the woman at the well about her husbands and thought that Jesus would assume the chief priests plotted again on their own?
What went through his mind we don’t know. But it’s so clear he didn’t think he was committing Jesus to die.
One sin.
One night of selling your soul.
Lord Jesus, have mercy on us all.
Because haven’t we all been Judas? Haven’t we all loved something more than we loved Jesus at some point?
How can we fathom this God of redemption who works through evil to bring forth good?
How can we fathom this God of mercy who still reaches down to people, takes their hand and lifts them up to make them whole?
How can we fathom a God who hears the dying words of a hardened criminal on the cross and whispers gentle words of complete forgiveness?
We are completely undone, yet completely immersed in His glory.
We are broken beings turned into shimmering mosaics of His beauty.
We are wretchedly unworthy, made messengers of His grace.
We are His.
Chosen.
Loved.
Redeemed.
All because of His amazing grace.
Beautifully written. So glad you shared this today.
Blessed mercy of God!
Revival meetings at church have been wonderful this week. The speaker has said multiple times “this little things MATTER!” Little things become big things and even make us who we are. Reminds me of the quote, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
Thank you for your post. 🙂
No, I cannot fathom. It baffles and astounds me that He can love so much. Me! Amazing grace, indeed.
I was moved by your words. Thank you.