Yet, despite all of this, here he is

now choosing to turn his back on the

one who is the hope of all the world.

We ask ourselves, why would he do

it? Greed? Disillusionment that

Jesus wasn't the Messiah he grew

up expecting? Fear for his future?

Whatever the reason he had and

whatever anger we may have toward

him it is safe to say, when Judas

betrayed Jesus, he made the biggest

mistake anyone has ever made.

We live and worship Jesus in a world

that seeks to draw us away from him

with many distractions. They appear

satisfying in the moment but we soon

quickly discover, as Judas did with

his bag of silver, that they are not.

And here is where we find incredibly

good news for us. Though Judas

succumbed and fell to his own

desires, we live in the light of a

Father's mercy: a mercy that is freely

available to us no matter or past or

how grievous our sin. A mercy that

exceeds judgment and gives us a

starting place as we seek to remain

rooted in Christ, guarding our hearts

through the treasure of his word.