Advent 2023

"And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease." Matthew 10:1, 4 (KJV)

The writer then names the disciples, and included in verse 4 is this:

". . . and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him."

This passage reminds us that Jesus called Judas to be one of his disciples. Judas was given the same authority as the other disciples and “was allotted his share in this ministry.” Jesus saw value in him. Scripture doesn’t tell us a lot about Judas except that he betrayed Jesus and later repented (Matt. 27:3).

In his book Peculiar Treasures, Frederick Buechner tells us of a tradition in the early church. Judas’ suicide was based on hope, not despair. Judas knew where he was going but that God in his mercy would be there to meet him and others in a last effort to save them. So, he once again met Jesus. This time, it was Jesus that delivered the kiss, but it wasn’t the kiss of death. It was the kiss of life.

Christianity is not a religion but a personal relationship with the living Christ. Jesus had a personal relationship with Judas and so can we. But just as with Judas, it is our decision as to how we will respond.

Our prayer today:

Dear heavenly Father, Help us to see others as you see them. Help us to respond to your love by treating them in a way that pleases you and brings you honor and glory. Help us learn from our mistakes. Forgive our mistakes, don’t give up on us, and help us to respond to others in the same way. Amen.

Today’s devotion was written by Alvin and Marjorie Jenkins, and read by Joey Smith.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.