Kindred,
When Judas betrayed Jesus, did he think what he was doing was wrong?
What drove Judas to the betrayal?
Was Judas selling out just for thirty pieces of silver?
Judas was thoughtless of the consequences of his betrayal.
It never occurred to him that Jesus would be crucified by those in power, though how could he not, given what Judas knew of the powers at the time, I do not know.
Imagine turning traitor to Jesus Christ…
You have witnessed firsthand Jesus' ministry, the many miracles He performed, the prophetic and empathic nature of the Teacher, the pedagogical Teachings of the Lord and Laws in easy to understand parables...
Yet, at the end of the day, you still feel you know better, your desire for a better world is better and when your demands of meeting power with power goes unheeded, you turn and turn away in a fit of anger, you betray.
How is this act of betrayal different from that time of yesterday?
When you voted to betray the Teacher and the Teachings, how have you betrayed and where have you strayed?
How can Judas be me, you ask?
Have you heeded the Ethical Standards of the Lord and followed the Teacher and the Teachings?
Are you loyal to the Lord, the Teacher or to Caesar?
Or are you the Judases, traitors to democracy, the Teacher and the Lord?
When you take the oath (of office or of any power), do you discard your covenant with the Lord and your responsibility to humanity and environment (as stewards of the earth)?
Is it Caesar first and everything else if convenient?
Are there any inconsistencies in your approach to life?
Meaning, do you believe in lies or the truth, do you lie to yourself and others to cover-up misdeeds and gain power?
Do you put the power of Caesar above everything else?
Where should your first loyalty be?
Are you divided in your loyalties?
Compromised in your behaviors?
Lost to the Lord and humanity?
Abraham Lincoln in his House Divided speech stated, "A house divided against itself, cannot stand."
The prophetic nature of his speech was proven to be true, "this government cannot (and did not) endure permanently half slave and half free….It will (and did) become all one thing or all the other".
And a person divided against oneself, cannot stand. He or she will become all one thing or all the other.
You cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).
Either you serve the Lord or you do not.
Either the Lord comes first in your loyalty or the Lord does not.
Are you divided in your loyalties?
