Not Been Born
Not Been Born
23 He answered and said, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. 24 The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”
Matthew 26:23-24
There are few verses more scathing than Jesus own words found here in verse 24. Jesus was obviously feeling the weight and pain of the next few hours of his life. Not only would he be condemned to die and do so in an excruciating way, but it would all happen at the hands, or kiss, of one of his closest friends and followers. Make no mistake, Jesus loved Judas, just as God loves all men, but he would not deny Judas his choice and consequence.
Last week we saw how all the disciples thought that they could be the betrayer, but here Jesus points the finger in the gentlest of ways- without ever actually saying his name.
The strong words used in verse 24 start with prophetic words of his death but quickly add a ‘but’ to change the direction to the betrayer. Think about what Jesus, the creator and savior of the world, says about Judas here. It would have been better for Judas to have never been born than to be the person that makes the choice he does.
I once spoke with a man who was convinced that Judas would be in heaven. He claimed that Judas simply did what Jesus needed him to do. He followed God’s plan in his life. Verse 24 really puts that whole idea into serious doubt. Judas had all the advantages and chances that the other eleven had. He saw the same miracles and heard the same sermons. He saw the goodness and holiness of Jesus, yet for 30 silver coins was willing to betray that perfect man. Everything that was done and all the consequences that Judas suffered and will suffer one day suffer are all on his own personal choice.
Judas never knew that this was to be his role. Judas never saw himself as the bad guy or betrayer but his series of choices and thoughts brought him there.
We too, each day, face a series of decisions. Every day we shape our future. How important it is to use Judas life as a lesson and warning. None of us live our lives to be the bad guys or betrayers but is it possible that one day we will be?
How important is it to see our actions and choices today before it’s too late. Let us make good choices and follow God’s good path for our lives.
God bless,
Pr. Steven Couto