Fidelity

I don’t know the original source of what’s written below about Judas because I’ve seen it shared several times by several different people and pages but it was too good not to re-post word for word.

“Think about this for a second. Jesus knew.

He goes into that room with His disciples. He knows He is going to be betrayed. He knows it is Judas who will turn against him. He knows that He has been sold out for a handful of silver. Stabbed in the back by one He has poured His life into.

Yet, in that room, hours before the death of Jesus, Judas ate too. Jesus fed Judas too. Jesus prayed for Judas too. Jesus washed Judas’ feet too. I struggle to fathom that kind of love. A love that would feed the mouth that deceived you. A love that would wash the treasonous feet of the traitor. A love that could forgive even the vilest of betrayals.

I honestly struggle to comprehend it. And then, suddenly, I realize that I’m Judas. And in that moment, I’m so thankful & altogether overwhelmed that Judas ate too.”

This isn’t a new story, everyone knows about Judas especially around Easter time for a Christian but dang if it didn’t just hit me with the fidelity of its weight.

Sometimes I wonder why I say or think of certain words and in this case, it’s the word “fidelity” meaning: faithfulness to a person, cause, or belief, demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support. I’ve been struggling so hard today and this message of Judas and then this word that seemed to flow into the sentence I just wrote makes me cry with overwhelming love for my Heavenly Father. He has not abandoned me even when I feel like I’ve reached a peak of learning and even when I know my faith is strong but I question and find myself confused. God is faithful and it is demonstrated in the smallest mundane things like a word. I hear You! I feel You here!

Stronger is He who is in me than he who is in the world. - 1 John 4:4

I’ve been betrayed too. My loyalty cast aside as if it didn’t matter. Then time and time again I find myself humbled to love like Jesus loves and to forgive as Jesus forgives. To be reminded that this isn’t being done in vain.

Especially if you’re walking in a season or out of a season of uncertainty where uncertainty is the only thing that is certain. When the people around you seem so undeserving of your efforts to be good to them. Remember that Jesus washed Judas’ feet too.

This also makes me think about Barabbas. The man that the people of Jerusalem chose to spare over Jesus. A high-profile killer and rabble-rouser who was a guilty criminal. There’s a line from a YouTube video that I will link below about Barabbas and it’s this.

“Barabbas is me. That’s you! And I love Barabbas.”

I have Judas’ and Barabbas’ in my life and I choose to love them. This love for them is not in vain. This forgiveness is not in vain. This time pouring into them is not wasted because Jesus loves them too. Jesus forgives them too. Jesus’ time is never wasted.

Y’all THIS is what Jesus dying on the cross did for you; what it did for me! God forgiving all of us for our sins by giving his one and only son. That’s agape love. Unconditional love. There are no conditions to being loved and worthy to God whether it be yourself or someone else. I’m blessed I had this reminder today because I started feeling like people in my life were holding me back from something more because I don’t feel like the agape love I continue to give is worth my efforts anymore but here I am reminded that Jesus chose Judas and Barabbas, therefore, I choose faithfulness in the path and will God has for me and to continue to praise Him for Jesus’s sacrifice so that I too can try and be like Jesus.

Youtube video on Barabbas 👇

https://youtu.be/2E4Pdik0wuY