What should capture our attention is Judas' fateful decision to take the morsel offered by Jesus and then the grand entrance of Satan. “Satan entered him.” We all know the rest of the story all told somewhat differently in each Gospel.
How many of us have daggers beneath our cloaks waiting to be used in character assassinations occurring through gossip – idle talk and rumor about other people often made “juicy” to hurt reputations and make us feel superior in some strange way? Gossip is the “morsel” we receive (and pass on) that opens the door for Satan to enter. Satan provides the cloak from underneath we wield our daggers to injure the subject of our hurtful attacks.
Let’s remember Judas’ fate described in Acts of the Apostles (1:15-20). According to Luke, Peter said, “He was numbered among us and was allotted a share in this ministry. He bought a parcel of land with the wages of his iniquity, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle, and all his insides spilled out.” Ouch. We’re probably more familiar with Matthew’s version (27:3-10): “Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned, deeply regretted what he had done…Flinging the money into the temple, he departed and went off and hanged himself.”
The lesson to be learned is: It’s better to be the LORD’s sharp-edged sword and polished arrow for glory rather than Satan’s dagger used for cloak and dagger betrayal through gossip or otherwise. Jesus knew his betrayer. Most of us are not so fortunate. Beware of blades unless we’re wielding them for the LORD.
Deacon David Pierce
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