John 13:27 (ESV)
Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”
Judas is a good example that proximity to Jesus does not guarantee that one is right with Him. He was numbered among the twelve, preached together with the rest, cast out demons as they did, he ate with Christ, held a notable and trusted position in the ministry (treasurer), etc. Yet all these things were not sufficient in preventing him from being used of Satan, from becoming the son of perdition. Sadly still, Jesus looks at him and tells him, “What you are going to do, do quickly”, as though all hope for his redemption was lost.
The problem with Judas is that he had hardened his heart. The Bible does inform us that he used to steal from the treasury bag from time to time. This ‘little, innocent’ act eventually translated to him betraying his Master and Friend for 30 pieces of silver. A ‘small’ sin left unchecked grew and led to the greatest betrayal in human history. We too, if we are not careful, could easily go the way of Judas. We must militantly fight every ounce of sin that is within us lest the same grows into a monster that we can no longer handle. We must be weary of getting to where Judas got, or even where Esau got – a point of no return:
_See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears._(Hebrews 12:15-17)
Reflections
1. What do you make of the statement, “Proximity to Jesus does not guarantee being right with Him?
2. Do you think Judas had a chance to mend his ways?
3. How are you going to rethink and reorder your Christian walk based on today’s devotion?
