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Kiss of Judas
Italian sculptor Ignazio Jacometti created the "Kiss of Judas," the work for which he is most known. It was acquired by Pope Pius IX to place it at the foot of the Scala Santa near S. Giovanni in Laterano, Italy. (iStock Photo by HagaiLeal)
June 19, 2023
In case you have not heard this Good News, Jesus loves you. We all are sinners and we all fall short of the Goodness of the transcendent God in the Holy Spirit. In fact Jesus loves you so very much that even as a sinner, even before you or I repented, Jesus was willing to die on a cross. Most people would be willing to die for a family member, some may be willing to die for a friend. Few would die for a cause. There is just one that I know who died for the sake of all – including the enemy.
Jason Valendy Ident 2022
What this means is that you and I do not have to be perfect or pure in order for Jesus to love us. Jesus loves us first and then, in response to this radical acceptance of God’s love, we cannot help but change how we live and move in the world. And therein lies the overlooked reason why Jesus loves you.
Before we get to that reason, let us remember one of the first disciples, Judas.
Judas was the misguided or even malicious disciple of Jesus who was so ashamed or distraught in his actions that he committed suicide. This disciple could not see any way out, he was so lost that he thought he had to be perfect or clean before Jesus would love him. Judas missed the point entirely and as a result is now the name we call people who are among the worst of the worst. So much so that in Dante’s telling of Hell, the fourth round in the lowest circle of Hell is called Judecca – and it is reserved for the traitors to lords/benefactors/masters.
It takes a lot of courage to love the traitor. It takes a lot of grace to see the on who betrays you is also a child of God. It takes a lot of mercy to overcome the hate harbored toward the one who betrays our trust. One might even say it takes divine love.
You and I are able to love family, friends, and even neighbors just fine without the help of Jesus. Jesus loves you so that you have the courage, grace and mercy to love the one who betrays you.
Jesus loves you so that you can love Judas.
And if that is not a humbling thought, don’t forget that someone probably thinks you are Judas.