Transcript
Speaker: The following podcast is a Jill Devine Media production. Christianity has become known for judgy people, strange words, ancient stories, confusing rules, and a members -only mindset. This is why I stayed away from the church for so long, but it's not supposed to be that way. I'm Jill Devine, a former radio personality with three tattoos, a love for a good tequila, and who's never read the entire Bible.
Speaker: Yet here I am hosting a podcast about faith. The normal goes a long way podcast is your home for real conversations with real people using real language about how faith and real life intersect. Welcome to the conversation. We've been spending this week reflecting on what was happening
Speaker: In Jesus, we've been spending this week talking about Holy Week and little glimpses into what Jesus may have been feeling, what was happening around him. And we've been doing that through some reflection and prayer with Laura Fleetwood. And we are going to continue that right now.
Speaker: It's Tuesday morning and once again, Jesus and his disciples returned to the city of Jerusalem. Today is when the betrayal is set into motion. This is the day that Judas, one of Jesus's 12 disciples would negotiate with the Sanhedrin to betray Jesus.
Speaker: He would betray him. He would turn him in and return for payment.
Speaker: And even as Jesus must have known that Judas was in the midst of negotiating this betrayal, Jesus takes the time to encourage his disciples and to spend time with them at the Mount of Olives, which is just on the east side of the temple and overlooks Jerusalem.
Speaker: And I can imagine as he is up there and he's looking at the temple where he was yesterday, when he overturned those tables of the money changer, as he's looking at the temple where the Jewish authorities are the same authorities that are planning and conniving for his ultimate arrest.
Speaker: Even as he knows that all of that chaos and betrayal is happening there, he takes time to pour into his disciples and to prepare them for what is to come. You see, Jesus always was speaking and acting with an eye toward the future. He lived in the present, but he knew what was to come.
Speaker: And even when the disciples didn't get it, which they didn't, he told them three times on three separate occasions that he was going to die and rise again. And they didn't understand.
Speaker: so much of his teachings they didn't understand much like even today we don't and yet he kept teaching he kept preparing them he kept speaking the truth of God over them because he knew what the future held and he knew that the future of God's love
Speaker: and grace and mercy and rebirth and possibility for human lives was going to spread to the end of the earth through these messy, miracle human men and women who followed him. And so even as the betrayal was coming, he took the time to pray and teach. And just as he knows what is in our future, he takes the time still
Speaker: with us to pray and teach. Are you listening to what the spirit of Christ is saying to you through his word?
Speaker: Are you listening to his teaching that comes to you through faithful servants of God, like pastors and spiritual mentors? Are you listening to the faithful leading that Jesus is giving you through other people that he has divinely put into your life? Are you listening?
Speaker: Dear Heavenly Father, today we are sad because we see that one of Jesus' own is going to betray Him in the worst possible way and for the worst possible reason.
Speaker: But we are also hopeful because even though Jesus knew what Judas was doing, he continued to be faithful to his followers by continuing to teach them, by continuing to lead them, by continuing to love them, by continuing to pray for them. And that gives us hope because we are like Judas. How many times have we betrayed you, Lord?
Speaker: How many times have we not spoken up when someone spoke ill of you? How many times have we not said the words of forgiveness towards someone who harmed us? How many times have we not shared the love that Jesus has for someone who just rubs us the wrong way?
Speaker: How many times have we not tried to understand those who are different from us and love them anyway? Jesus is showing us on this Tuesday morning that He loves us anyway, just like He loved Judas, even in the midst of his betrayal. And we are so thankful. Amen.
