Mtr Mary Trainor

Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?

Dear friend,

Judas in July?

I’m often surprised by Daily Office selections at this place in the lectionary year. I mean, Judas?  I want to shout, “You’re not supposed to be here now!”

Or is he? 

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Today’s Daily Office Gospel from Luke offers an accounting of the moments leading up to Jesus’ arrest. Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, kisses him as a way of identifying who should be arrested.

Some consider Judas to be the quintessential traitor. Others wonder if he was simply trying to keep Jesus on track. Some among the followers believed Jesus was to be the new earthly king, and would rule as an earthly king to bring about justice and peace. Some say Judas might have been one of those followers fearing Jesus was going off-script and compromising the grand plan.

No one knows for sure, of course, including me.

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But it makes me wonder. Is Judas, in some form or another, always lurking along the believer’s path, looking for someone to share his concerns?

As a young girl, I was amped up on fundamentalist-speak: Accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior and you will be saved. It seemed straight-forward. But even at nine, I could worry something to death. Personal savior. What does that means? Accept? What does that mean? And, does the fact I even had such questions throw me out of the running for heaven? Does this quibbling over the questions mean I lack commitment? Am I poised to offer my kiss to Jesus?

It was years before I became more comfortable in my belief, more solid on the savior and me. But in times of questioning--even now--I find a certain sympathy for how Judas might have come to take that horribly wrong turn.

Judas in July? Why not.

Mtr Mary