Luke 21:34--22:6 (NRSV)
"Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." Every day he was teaching in the temple, and at night he would go out and spend the night on the Mount of Olives, as it was called. And all the people would get up early in the morning to listen to him in the temple.
Now the festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was near. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Jesus to death, for they were afraid of the people. Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve; he went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers of the temple police about how he might betray him to them. They were greatly pleased and agreed to give him money. So he consented and began to look for an opportunity to betray him to them when no crowd was present.
THOUGHTS:
"Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve…" (verse 22:3)
This line from Luke's gospel has always left me a bit confused. How exactly did Satan enter into Judas? What did it feel like? Was Judas aware of what was happening in that moment? If Satan entered into Judas, can Satan enter into me, too?
To really understand what is happening here, though, we have to go back to the beginning of Luke's gospel. At the beginning of chapter 4 the devil (otherwise known as Satan) tempts Jesus, trying to get Jesus to worship him instead of God. Scripture says, "When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time." Here, in today's passage is that opportune time!
Satan's opportune time was Judas' moment of weakness. It was the moment when he took his eyes off of Jesus. It was the moment that he lost his way and got off track. And, unfortunately, Judas isn't the only one who has such moments. We all do. We all have those moments when our lives seem to get off track and we are tempted.
Hence, we need the season of Lent. The Lenten journey is about getting ourselves and our lives back on track. It is about refocusing our eyes on Jesus and the cross. Lent is God's opportune time to enter into us and to fill us with God's Spirit. God's Spirit within us is then able to protect us from evil forces and guide us in our journey. PRAYER:
Gracious God, we pray that you would enter into us, protecting us from all evil and guiding our ways. Amen.
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Thoughts by Rev. Meredith Lovell Keseley, Lutheran Church of the Abiding Presence
--These devotions for young adults are provided by:Lutheran Campus Ministry at George Mason University http://www.gmu.edu/org/lutheranLutheran Student Association at the University of Maryland http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~lutheran/lsa/DC Young Adults http://www.dcyoungadults.org/--Feel free to share them with your friends!View or subscribe to these devotions by RSS or email from http://lentendevotions.blogspot.com
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