Developing Foundations for Healthy RelationshipsParaugs

The relationship between Jesus and Judas (Part 1)

Of all the relationships within the Bible, the one between Jesus and Judas is one of the most perplexing, sad, and layered. In Luke 6:16 we are told that Judas was one of the 12 disciples that Jesus hand selected.

As one of the 12, he then went on to minister and live alongside Jesus for three years. Judas was there when Jesus performed His miracles: healing the sick, raising people from the dead, feeding the 5,000, calming the wind and the waves, and walking on water. He heard his teachings in person: repentance, loving our neighbors as ourselves, the Sermon on the Mount, turning the other cheek, going the extra mile, forgiveness, prayer, storing up treasures in heaven, all four soils, entering through the narrow gate, loving God, baptism, making disciples, being born again, and many others.

What's more, we have every reason to believe that Judas not only witnessed the life and miracles of Jesus but also was empowered and participated in them. We are told in Mark 6:6-13 that Jesus gave the twelve disciples authority over demons and the power to heal the sick. They preached and performed miracles, and we have no reason to believe that Judas was not a part of this. He experienced it all.

Knowing all of this, the question has to be asked: why and how could somebody betray Jesus who sat with Him, ate with Him, witnessed His miracles, and heard His teachings? Judas had every reason and every evidence to know, love, follow, and support Jesus as LORD and Messiah - and yet He betrayed Him.

This was not only true of the big betrayal (more on that tomorrow) but also repeatedly. We are told in John 12 that Judas was the keeper of the moneybag for Jesus and his disciples but that he was a thief - helping himself to its contents. Judas loved money more than Jesus. He was bound by greed.

We can learn a lot of things from Judas, including:

• We can not love both God and money (Matthew 6:24).
• Unconfessed sin is an open door to the work of the enemy in our lives. We are told that Judas had unconfessed sin within his life (stealing), and that Satan entered into him (Luke 22:3-4).

More than that though, we can learn a lot of things from Jesus in relation to Judas. When Jesus chose Judas as His disciple, He knew how that story would end and yet He still chose Him. He taught him, loved him, ate with him, and chose to do life alongside him. This makes no sense in the wisdom of the world. Why would you keep company with somebody who is lying to you? Who is using your resources? Who will go on to betray you?

As followers of Jesus, we must learn from Jesus to love all people, even the most difficult ones. We must learn to do life with and love people that do not serve us, or deserve it. Even people that outright hurt and betray us (again, think David and Saul). We must continue to love people that reject us or disrespect us. We must learn, as Jesus taught, to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:31).

Today's Bible Reference is the parable of the Good Samaritan because it is through this parable that Jesus teaches on this exact topic. His own relationship with Judas is a great example of this principle applied.

Finish up today’s study by thinking through or journaling the answers to the following questions:

What does this parable teach us about how we should treat people who are different from us or have nothing to offer us?

What does Jesus’s relationship with Judas teach us about our own relationships?

What does the Judas/Jesus relationship teach about compassion and empathy?

What cultural or personal barriers are present in your life that stop you from loving or including difficult people?

What practices do you need to implement into your life to become more like Jesus and/or more like the Good Samaritan?