Today, many believers have ways of understanding the Word that can sometimes be frightening. My brother, my sister, today’s topic teaches us many essential lessons: why the Lord asks us not to judge the others and to love even our enemies! Jesus is God, so He reads our mind and knows what is in our hearts (Matthew 9:4). Now, Jesus walked with Judas during the three years of His ministry, while Judas is said to be a thief (John 12:6) and a betrayer (Matthew 27:3). First lesson: Judas’ story teaches us is that, not everyone is really attached to the True Vine: it is not because you have been going to church for years and years, that you preach the Word, that you evangelize every day that you are. Outsiders would have looked at Judas and envy Him for eating at Jesus’ table. But they did not know that Judas was there only physically and had never been transformed from within, and that why, as the Scripture says: “Judas left to go where he belongs” (Acts 1:25), which echoes this other verse: “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us” (1 John 2:19). Second lesson: even if you see a believer misbehaving, know that you do not know God’s plan for His life, so don’t judge them. Why is it that the Bible does not tell us of Jesus or any of the disciples rebuking Judas? It seems that they knew what he was doing anyway, since if there is something that is hard to hide, it is greed: “He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it” (John 12:6). Imagine one second if Jesus had rebuked Judas and bring him to conversion… how would the plan of God be fulfilled? Yet, this does not mean that Judas’s fate was to do evil. Like all of us, Judas could choose to do right or evil, for God says: “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19). Judas let his greed and love of money control him up to the point where “Satan entered into him” (John 13:27). And this is exactly what happens with all of us… if you don’t deal with your flaws and weaknesses, Satan will make good use of them! Third lesson: the selfishness in us must die for Christ’s teachings to take over in our lives: Judas was so much consumed with self that he never knew the truth that sets free, which is why he died in bondage. How many believers are still in bondage today, just because they have not yet been crucified with Christ: “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts” (Galatians 5:24). Fourth lesson: it is not our duty to treat those who persist in their sins as people without hope or even to condemn them. Even Judas finally realised his wrongdoings and tried to give back the money (Matthew 27:3)… but his lack of repentance caused him to end up his life. The same, Jesus had two criminals near Him on the cross, but only one chose to accept Him while the other chose not to. Don’t you think the Lord still give Judas a hand for his salvation, since He wants all to be saved ? But they man was so much concerned about himself and what he can do for himself that he chose to kill himself… Simple: though walking with Christ, Judas had never known the Truth enough to turn away from his evil deeds and live! All in all, God knows about our flaws and weaknesses. The Bible says: “he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). So, when you fall into temptation, just like Judas, you are entirely responsible for your own choice and may be it is time for you to turn back and reflect on yourself, asking the Spirit of God to help you through your weaknesses to be able to overcome them. So, my friend, when you go to church, go ONLY for Christ’ sake, and close your eyes, your ears and your mouth on the others! There is so much to do with yourself that you don’t have time to deal with the weaknesses of the others. And know that, the moment you divert your eyes from Jesus, you start losing focus on Him… and you are opening a door for Satan to enter in your life. Stay blessed in Jesus’ name. [facebook] [retweet]