The Traitor’s Last Song
My spirit is draped in darkness as I recall the past few days. The coins in my hand reflect a face I no longer recognize. Temptation and greed have bought my heart and I cannot seem to break their strangling hold. The compelling call of the jingling silver rings in my ears and I yield to its cry and bow to its empty throne.
The lips of betrayal have met with the face of love, and the heart of the Master looked deep into my darkened soul. Where can I go to hide from what I have done? How can I live when I have doomed the only hope for the world to his death? Forgiveness for such guilt is unthinkable. I dare not kneel to ask. How could God forgive me when I have all but killed His only Son?
A crooked tree hanging over a cliff is my home and a rope my last embrace. When the rotting branch finally breaks the awaiting rocks will be my bed though no rest will be found there. Then I will have the payment I deserve, and then I will reap the seeds that I have sown.
May all be warned who pass this way, and may all avoid my resting place, least they be tainted by the blood of a traitor.
Judas Iscariot
By
Tom Shuff
5 comments:
Nice writing. I have a theological question, though... do you think Judas could have been forgiven?
---Tim
Tim,
Interesting question. I would love to say yes and rationalize it by saying that this was all part of God's master plan and so Judas' part in it could be overlooked or accepted as necessary. Peter certainly gives us some insight on Acts 1 when he speaks of Judas as leaving the apostolic ministry "to go where he belongs." This phrase may be a little vague, and had Judas' death been more like Elijah’s or his final hours been more like the thief on the cross (the good one), then I might argue that Peter's vague statement could be taken as a possible positive one. Unfortunately that wasn't how Judas' life ended it ended in a "field of blood" where "his body burst open and his intestines spilled out." If this doesn't give us a sense of "a bad end" for him then a closer look at the scriptures Peter quoted might. Acts 1:20, "For," said Peter, "it is written in the book of Psalms, "May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it." A closer look at Psalms 69 gives us a bit more...
“19 You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed; all my enemies are before you. 20 Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none. 21 They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst. 22 May the table set before them become a snare; may it become retribution and [a] a trap. 23 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever. 24 Pour out your wrath on them; let your fierce anger overtake them. 25 May their place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in their tents. 26 For they persecute those you wound and talk about the pain of those you hurt. 27 Charge them with crime upon crime; do not let them share in your salvation. 28 May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.”
I can’t get past the phrases “Charge them with crime upon crime; do not let them share in your salvation. 28 May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.” Peter ascribes this sentiment to Judas and so I have a difficult time trying to work out in my head how the charges of crime upon crime against Judas being somehow removed, and how he could recover from having his name “blotted out of the book of life.” Peter goes on to quote from Psalm 109, and while it isn’t as strong in speech as Psalm 69, it also doesn’t give us reason to doubt Judas’ fate.
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Tom
I personally believe that a penitent Judas could have been forgiven. That is, I believe that God would have done that.
Could Judas have overcome the weight of his sin and come back to God? That's the hard part. And Jesus called him a devil in John 6. He was pretty far gone.
Still, my thought is that Jesus would have received and forgiven a penitent Judas. I think God's grace is big enough, even for Judas.
Grace and peace,
Tim
Tim,
I certainly agree that God's grace is big enough and could have done anything. I know of only 1 sin in the scriptures that is said to be unforgivable, and that is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. I suppose that suicide is the second since it is a murder of which the perpetrator can not repent. So that leaves us with a Judas the betrayer, Judas the blotted out, Judas the committer of suicide who has gone to be where he belongs.
Your initial question was "do I think that Judas COULD have been forgiven? I guess my answer was to the question "do I think he was forgiven." Certainly he could have been forgiven, least we limit the power of Jesus. Biblical indications lead me to believe that he wasn't forgiven.
Tom
Tom,
I very much agree. I have in the past contrasted Peter and Judas, showing the difference between repentance and mere regret. Seems like a good illustration of 2 Corinthians 7:10.
Grace and peace,
Tim
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