The Judas syndrome

1 Corinthians 10:14-17, 11:27-32

           When I was in seminary, one of our assignments was to attend a twelve step program meeting. As my own dad was an alcoholic, I sought out an AA meeting. What truly fascinated me was the variety of people at the meeting. Lawyers, doctors, farmers, teachers, housewives and young people. It was a broad spectrum of society, no one was safe it seemed.

           When I was dating my husband and even now as a newlywed, I never intend to hurt my spouse. Invariably because we are different people and I see things differently than he does and I am an imperfect person, I may say something or do something that hurts him.

           I don't think anyone gets up in the morning and says 'how can I hurt someone today?' or 'how can screw up today?' The fact is though we are imperfect. We all make mistakes, we all make faulty decisions, we delude ourselves that what we do is correct and in the process, we do invariably hurt people. I guess you could say we all sin and some of us more seriously than others but we all do.

             I don't believe Judas set out planning to betray Jesus. It was not a lengthy plot. When Judas had the thought of betraying Jesus, then he rationalized it and moved forward with the plan, then and only then did he fall into a trap we all do. We make mistakes, sometimes really big mistakes. Perhaps I am sugar coating it when I say mistakes, it is sin. Often it is a matter of degree and some of us are luckier' than others but we all sin. So while Judas did not set out with a plan, he came to a decision and it could have been any of us had we been there. Just like the people at the AA meeting, it could be any of us.

         So when we vilify Judas as we usually do, perhaps I am wrong but I am have empathy for him because we all sin. We can also think we are the persecuted ones and lash out at others for doing it but Jesus would tell us to love our persecutors so if we accept our sinfulness in any way and accept our savior and God's forgiveness, we must act differently all around. This all hits me with a keener sense of awareness because of Holy week but it something we might want to think about.

Therefore, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols. I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord.Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgement against themselves. For this reason many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.