SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1018

“The Feet of Judas”

…During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. (John 13:1-17)

I never cease to marvel at the truth of God’s love for us that is portrayed in our reference Scripture verse. Imagine Jesus, fully God and fully man, taking on the position of a bond slave and washing the feet of His disciples. What a picture of His love for us. I recall the ‘aha’ moment when the Holy Spirit revealed to me that Judas’ feet were washed also. He loves us even when He knows our dark hearts. He truly came to take away the sins of the world.

I recently climbed up on my self-righteous pedestal and wondered how Judas could have betrayed Jesus. The Lord brought me back to ground zero with the challenge to examine where my feet have walked – has my path been all that different than the path Judas’ feet walked?

Judas’ feet took him to follow Jesus as have mine. Judas however, was never part of the Lord’s trusted inner circle as were Peter, Andrew, James and John. Do I follow Jesus at a distance? Am I too content to dwell in the shadowy fringe of the world rather than press in to the center of the light of Christ? Is my Christianity simply a means to an end – a sort of ‘get out of jail free’ card?

Judas’ feet took him to clandestine places to steal from Jesus. But Judas Iscariot… said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. (John 12:4-6) It is interesting to note how little importance Jesus placed on their finances by allowing Judas to have charge of the moneybag. Jesus trusted His Father to always provide their needs.

Does my love for the baubles of this world interfere with my relationship with Jesus? For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. (1 Timothy 6:10) Have I withheld the Lord’s tithe or given it grudgingly? Have I done some creative accounting, calculating the tithe on net, rendering it not as a first fruit offering to the Lord but rather secondary to taxes, benefits, and my 401k?

Judas was quick to walk in the ways of evil and his feet took him to a place of despair and destruction. How quick my feet are to take me where I should not go! For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. (Romans 7:18) The enemy seeks to drag you into despair and tell you the lie that there is no hope for you. Judas believed the lie – you do not have to! Like Judas we have all sinned and like Judas, Jesus washed our feet and more! For by grace you have been saved through faith…; For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (Ephesians 2:8-9; John 3:16)

May your feet take you closer to Jesus, pressing in to the center of the light of His presence.