Was Judas co-dependent?

November 4, 2011
The Life of Jesus; read today:  Remorse of Judas; Matthew 27:1-10 Acts 1:16-20


NHEB: Matthew Chapter 27
[3] Then Judas, who betrayed him, when he saw that Jesus was condemned, felt remorse, and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
[4] saying, "I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood." But they said, "What is that to us? You see to it."
[5] He threw down the pieces of silver in the sanctuary, and departed. He went away and hanged himself.

For the last two years I have been part of a group that meets at my church that deals with addictions and co-dependency issues. I have learned many things over that time. One is that no one regrets something that they are about to do.  The only time that they regret what they do is after the fact.  The person who drinks does not regret it till after he looses his job.  The co-dependant spouse does not regret their actions till they realize what they have helped create, or are hurt because of it.

Judas realized too late the situation he was in.  I am thinking that he was a really co-dependant or had an addiction problem.  He wanted Jesus to be a man of action and by betraying Him, Judas could force the situation.  Only Jesus did not have the same agenda that Judas did.  He had his own agenda and it meant redemption for all, not just freedom for the Jewish people.

And so he regrets what he did, and commits suicide.  He could have thought things through and realized it was not as bad as it seemed.  Or better yet, he could have talked it out with Jesus, seen what Jesus had in mind. He could have thought it out and seen the consequences.

And that is something that I need to see in myself as well.  The actions that I take are what will influence my life in the future.  If, before I do the thing that is hurtful, I take the time to think what my actions will do, to call a friend to help me get through it, then I will not do the thing that is destructive in my life.  But that is hard to do.


Read for next time: Jesus before Pilate; Matthew 27:1-14; Luke 23:1-7; John 18:29-38