𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐚𝐬
The Bible has many stories with great lessons, but there is one small detail that the scribes forgot to mention. Jesus Christ also loved Judas Iscariot. He asked God to forgive everyone in His final moments on the cross.
Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots.
—Luke 23:34
Jesus knew the prophesies and what will transpire from the very beginning of their journey together, till the end. He became his teacher, taught him the Father's love, washed his feet, shared meals on the same table and loved Judas like a brother anyway.
As followers of Christ, we are to do the same. This is what will set us apart as children of God. We know the Father's forgiveness and Christ's redemption. We are to embody Jesus' compassion and gentleness in a world that does not know our heavenly Father's love.
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
—Galatians 2:20, Paul the Apostle
We are to love and pray for both our friends and our enemies, because Jesus loved and died for their sins as well.
“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
—Matthew 5:44-45, Jesus Christ
I think the greatest test of Christianity is not only loving Jesus Christ, it's also loving Judas.
Like Judas, we are all sinners. And like him, Jesus also loved us. Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of what true Divine Love is. And it is far from the worldly, conditional love we know.
“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”
—John 15:12-13, Jesus Christ
To the child of God that is reading this, don't be so hard on yourself. My love, regardless of what you have done in the past, Jesus Christ also loved you unconditionally. He did it for you so that sin will no longer separate you from our heavenly Father.
So I invite you to see rightly in your heart what is beyond what scriptures, doctrines and laws written in books can teach, to know the embodiment of God's love that surpasses human understanding—Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ loved everyone, including you. So if you love Him too, REPENT, before you end up like Judas.
