Tuesday, the Sixth Week of Lent

   Jesus was dining with friends in Bethany.  Among those present were Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.  Martha and Mary were also there.  During dinner Mary came to Jesus with a jar of aromatic nard, an expensive perfumed oil, and poured it on His feet, drying them with her hair.

   Some of His disciples asked why He allowed such a waste.  The oil could have been sold and food bought for the poor.  Among those protesting was Judas Iscariot, Jesus’ betrayer.  Rather than stop Mary Jesus explained that she was anointing Him for His upcoming burial.

   This was when Judas made the decision to betray Jesus.  “Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?’  They paid him thirty pieces of silver, and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.” (Matthew 26: 14-16).

   Why would Judas do such a thing?  Was it because Jesus allowed Mary to anoint Him with expensive oil?  Was he not convinced that Jesus was the Messiah?  We may never know what his reasoning was.  According to prophesy one of the twelve would betray Jesus.  Some say because of the prophesy, Judas had no choice.

   Jesus did not remove Judas from the twelve even though He knew that he would betray Him.  Why not?  Certainly in today’s world Judas would have been thrown out and possibly killed for his betrayal.  Why did Jesus allow him to continue to be among them?  Did He want to give Judas the chance to come to Him and confess his sin?  Would He have forgiven him if had?

   Jesus teaches that we are to love our neighbor, even our enemies.  To have done less for Judas would have betrayed His own teaching.  I am absolutely convinced that had Judas asked Jesus would have forgiven Him just as he forgives us our sins.

    “There is nothing you can do to make God love you any more than He already does.  And there is nothing you can do to make Him love you any less.”   This has been said in many ways by many people over the years but it is a truth of faith.  The love of God is unlimited and even the betrayal of His Son does not change that.  Had Judas asked forgiveness rather than killing himself he would be sharing paradise with our Lord just as surely as the thief on the cross.  Now is the time to go to God and beg forgiveness for the times we have betrayed Jesus in what we've done or what we haven't done.