Filled with remorse

Judas threw the coins down in the Temple and left; then he went off and hanged himself.

 The chief priests picked up the coins and said, ‘This is blood money, and it is against our Law to put it in the temple treasury.’ After reaching an agreement about it, they used the money to buy Potter’s Field, as a cemetery for foreigners. That is why that field is called ‘Field of Blood’ to this very day. (verses 5-8)

Read Matthew 27:1-10

This is such a tragic story. You have to feel sorry for Judas. Everything went wrong for him, and it is quite possible that his motives for betraying Jesus were not evil, just misguided. It was certain that he was filled with remorse and he tried to atone for his sins by returning the blood money.

But now, as then, the removal of sin does not come from your own actions but through repentance and confession to God. If only Judas had trusted his own earlier faith that Jesus truly was God and had waited another three days then he could have asked for his forgiveness in person.

You do not have that dilemma. Christ rose from the dead, loves you, cares for you and when you ask forgiveness you receive it. It does not matter how deep your sin is.

Lord, I have sinned so often, in so many ways. Please forgive me and remove the pain of my disobedience from my heart. Amen

by Kathy Hoopman, in ‘Renewed Hope for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2000)

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