Insightful Musings on the Scriptures
by
Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67
Greetings, dear people.
I’m looking out at a kind of winter wonderland. Earlier, Becki and I ventured out into it to do a walk/jog. Dandy obviously loves the snow. There’s only about 2” on the ground, but more is on the way…and it’s snowing right now. And it’s so cold, it’s not even thinking about melting yet.
These conditions allowed me to have a little fun with my quad. I cranked it up and was out in our field doing spins and ripping around.
Becki just reported that we need to run off through the snow to pick up Kaden and Nicholas in Canby…as this is their weeked to spend with their dad…which means US for now, as Thano is at work. Fun.
Have a great day. Love, Dad/Ray.
What in the world do you think was going through Judas’ confused head at this point? What was it that irritated him to the point of turning against Jesus? How can you explain his close participation in the ministry of Jesus with all its miraculous displays and confirmations of Jesus’ deity, only to reject Him and set Him up for execution? Judas had to know that was their objective. Did he turn and behave this way only because Sovereign God pre-determined it so? If so, is Judas really responsible for his thoughts and actions? Grappling with these questions and formulating Biblically-compatible answers presents a very worthy homework assignment. However we assemble the pieces of the puzzle, Jesus’ words are about as ominous and scary as anything I can imagine when He says, “It would be better for him if he had not been born” (26:24). Ponder that one.
In the preceding verses, there is a clue as to what could have set Judas off. When the lady came into the house where Jesus was staying with the jar of expensive ointment and dumped the whole thing on Jesus, the narrative reports, “When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. ‘Why this waste?’ they asked” (26:8). On one hand I can understand. If I were to present my wife with a bottle of expensive perfume and she proceeded to empty the whole bottle over her head in one go, I may be a little irritated too. Judas could have been one of the main indignant ones. And when Jesus actually gave approval to this “waste,” that could have been the straw that broke the camel’s back. Don’t miss the sadness and loss here—so because Judas was so self-centered and worldly minded, and had failed to embrace the practical importance of a HEART AFTER GOD, he was not able to recognize the incredible world-changing events God was unfolding before his very eyes, and he was made to totally miss out on the glorious benefits they brought.
Do you see here more support for the priority importance of a HEART AFTER GOD as I do? Would I be taking this to an unreasonable extreme to suggest that if I personally reject the opportunities God offers toward nurturing and embracing a HEART AFTER GOD, it may play out to be better for me if I had not been born? Ponder that one too.