Judas Go Quickly

On Wednesday March 23, 2016 the Gospel reading for the day was John13:21-32. In verse 27b, "Jesus said 'Judas, go quickly and do what you have to do' ... It was already night."

These last four words hit me and I am not sure exactly why. Is it because "night" has come when the decision by Judas (you / me) is made; even before the action is taken, the deed is done?

When we make decisions that we know are wrong, even evil, has night already fallen? Does the sun set on our intentions even before the action?

Suppose we change our mind and our direction and do not do what we had considered. Is it then daylight or does darkness still decent? Do intentions, even if not acted on, still set negative events in motion?

It is Wednesday in Holy Week and Judas has been sent on his way by Jesus. The one who is to suffer is instructing the perpetrator. Why was Judas chosen? It is said, in the Gospels, that Judas was the keeper of the common purse, and that he sometimes used the money for himself. Did these "small" sins of greed or self indulgence pave the way for the ultimate btrayel? When we contemplate doing something that may be less than appropriate do we say to ourselves, "This is really no big deal; it doesn't matter that much" are we paving our own road to making it, "... already night."?

Of course as Christians, we know that God brings good out of the actions of Judas; but it is important to remember the suffering that occurred before it was daylight again. In the book The Will of God by Leslie Weatherhead he says that God's will is always done because God will see to it. But he also says that for a time we can thwart that will, with our free will; but only for a time. Given this he speculates that with our cooperation God's will could be done more quickly. He even fanticises that if people had followed Jesus instead of crusifing him it would not have already been night.

But as Christians we know the outcome and we know that on Easter morning the Son will rise, and that we can celebrate that Rising every Sunday.

Time Limits

One of the readings for today March 5, 2016 in the Common Revised Lectionary  as listed in the booklet Forward Day by Day is Psalm 90. At the ripe old age of 71 several verses from this Psalm strike me as important. They are verse 1, "Our Lord, in all generations you have been our home." Verses 5B and 6: "We are merely tender grass that sprouts and grows in the morning but dries up by evening." And verse 12: "Teach us to use wisely all the time we have." When these verses are strung together we can see the good advice contained in them.

In another book, Meeting Jesus on the Margins, in the section designated for this date, the author of this meditation departs from Matthew 25 (the basis for the book) and quotes Mark 10:46-52 where Jesus and His disciples meet the blind Bartimaeus. As the Gospel tells us, Bartimaeus is persistant until he gets Jesus' attention and asks to be healed of his blindness. Jesus grants his request and restores Bartimaeus' sight, "because of your faith." The Gospel further reports that, "... he (Bartimaeus) went down the road with Jesus." (v.52b) 

As Followers of the Way our sight has been restored by Jesus and, like Bartimseus, we "go... down the road with Jesus..." We should also understand that in the evening we will dry up and blow away; at least in an Earthly sense, and that our walk down the road following Jesus is limited in time. What we do with that time, that time that is limited no matter our age, is of upmost importance for the sight that we have been given needs to be shared as we tread the path that follows Jesus.

(Scripture quoted from the Contemporary English Version.)