November 16

THE STORY OF JUDAS: SO CLOSE AND YET SO FAR

The name of Aldrich Ames will forever be a name tied to the word "Traitor." Ames was the person who in 1994 was charged with betraying his country. Aldrich Ames over a nine year period sold to the KGB the names of 10 Soviet agents and compromised valuable secrets about US surveillance of the Soviet Union. In exchange for this information Ames received 1.5 million dollars. The cost of his betrayal was the lives of at least 10 people and untold damage to our country's security.

The results of betrayal are always tragic but the greatest tragedy is thinking about the possibilities of what that person might have been had they remained faithful.

Today in our reading of the Passion Week we encountered the story of Judas. I can’t help but think about the tragic betrayal of Judas. His life can never be used as a role model but we can learn volumes from the mistakes he made.

One of these lessons he teaches us is that opportunity does not guarantee success. Judas was a privileged man with a lot of gifts. He was raised in Kerioth, a town in the southern part of Judah, which gave him a cultured and privileged upbringing. He had a good business head on his shoulders, which is why he was made treasurer of the group. When picking a treasurer, you want the most knowledgeable, trustworthy and dependable person. He had tremendous spiritual opportunities. Over the 3 years spent with Jesus, Judas had heard the gospel, seen the miracles and participated in declaring the kingdom. He had personal opportunities that only a few in the history of our planet have ever experienced. He was chosen to be part of the 12 Disciples. He walked, talked, ate and laughed with Jesus. He saw and heard everything Jesus had said. He had a perfect view of Jesus.

Judas was on top of the world, moving with full sails, he had everything going for him. Which brings us to the lesson we must learn: opportunity does not guarantee success. Every generation has its lists of people who are blessed with incredible opportunities but they fall short.

Our generation is one of them. We have been blessed with unprecedented freedom, prosperity, educational opportunities, health benefits and yearly bountiful harvests. We have also been handed a heritage rich in the knowledge of Jesus and the Bible. Yet what have we done with these opportunities? We have turned our backs on the Lord and His Word. It is now a crime to have the 10 Commandments in a Courthouse and to display your Bible in school or the work place.

The great tragedy of America in 2009 is that we have not learned the lesson of Judas and we have betrayed our Lord. Do not be ashamed of the Lord today. Speak up for him and share his love with those around you.