Today we are reading from Mark 14: 10-11:

10 Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. 11 When they heard it, they were greatly pleased, and promised to give him money. So he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.

Judas was one of the twelve.  That statement always sticks with me a little bit when I read this passage.  One of the twelve.  We see him, and we remember him, deservedly so, as the one who betrayed Jesus. That was his most famous act, that was his legacy. 

He betrayed Jesus.  

At one point, though he was a leader of the twelve. They trusted him to be the treasurer, and as we all know, you don’t just give the money to anyone.  He was a leader, he was one of them.  And we now find ourselves here.  Why did he betray? There are a lot of thoughts.  Primarily among them, spiritual, the Gospels tell us that Satan entered into him and he betrayed. 

There are some other thoughts that he wanted Jesus to be an earthly king and when that did happen, he was trying to force Jesus’ hand.  

In the end, we know that he betrayed Jesus and will forever be synonymous with the concept of a traitor.  But remember where he started. As one of the twelve.  Even Judas as loved enough by Jesus to be one of the twelve. 

Even sat at Jesus’ table.  Even Judas, in an upcoming section, will receive communion.  

If you feel unworthy, unloved, or like you don’t belong, remember even Judas had a place at Jesus’ table.  The very one who would betray was loved by Jesus, one of the twelve, and had a place.  

Jesus called the twelve.  Even Judas.  You’ve not gone too far or done too much. You have a place with Jesus.  He called even Judas.  He calls us today. 

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