Judas

Recently I got a few books for my spring reading list which included Peter Rollins' Fidelity of Betrayal and Viola's Pagan Christianity. At first, I started to read Rollins and to be really honest I got so pissed off that I nearly threw the book across the room. Instead of doing that I thought that maybe I would take some time and read the next chapter. I was just hoping that it would get better. It didn't and this time I was at Starbucks so throwing the book across the room meant hitting the trendy guy who was on his Mac complete with vest, white headphones, and dark thick rim glasses (I know I know…) So instead of throwing the book, I decided that I would read it like I would read a book by Dawkins.

What started to happen though is I realized that I was being hit with a lot of things that I had never heard before and that I really needed to consider. It is always good to have a conversation partner in times like these. I feel very fortunate that mine happens to be my wife. It is always weird when I neglect to share thoughts that I am having, how my attitude shifts towards the selfish jerk. Anyway, so some thoughts.

Judas

At the very mention of this guy's name, my stomach turns. It is amazing how for so many years I had demonized him and thought that he was anti-Christ. Rollins first chapter in his book deals with this head on and ask questions that I am still dealing with in my mind. Money quote, "One should wonder if Judas didn't kill himself, what it would have looked like for Judas to encounter Jesus after His resurrection."

I asked Emily this same question. Her response was that it probably would have been a beautiful encounter of forgiveness and restoration. I didn't realize that there was so much controversy surrounding Judas. Really, I just thought of him as the betrayer of Jesus and considered him evil. There is a lot of speculation though on his motives and his actions and some of the most interesting of speculations come from many of the early church fathers particularly Origen, St. Augustine, Ignatius, etc. Throughout church history many theologians had differing views on Judas among these were people like Calvin and Aquinas. These views look very different.

So before anyone reads this and thinks that I am somehow straying into the realms of heresy, please know that I am still thinking through all of this and there are a host of other theologians that were aforementioned that have said or considered similar thoughts.

It is interesting to think that Judas was in God's divine plan and that Christ himself knew that he would betray him and yet did nothing to stop him. Most of the Sunday school lessons I learned early on said that Jesus knew that because he was God, and he knew that he needed to be crucified. I heard that Judas went to hell. I am not exactly sure where this comes from. Since Judas was in the Divine plan of Christ, was Judas doing the will of God?

Jesus, at the crucifixion prays to God and asks them, "Forgive them, for they know not what they do." Does this prayer include Judas? How does that forgiveness play itself out?

I find it really interesting that after Judas receives the 30 pieces of silver and after Jesus is arrested, Judas goes and returns the money. I wonder if this is a repentant heart. Judas obviously is so distraught over the arrest of Jesus that he kills himself. There was obviously a love that Judas had for Jesus on some level.

Peter Rollins offers a question that I do not see any historical precedent, other than a Scorcesy film and a Gnostic Gospel, that is what if Jesus met with Judas privately and asked him to betray him? Again, please don't throw any stones my way. I am really just thinking out loud.

Thoughts?