Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Pilgrim's Road Trip

Home
Evangelical
Is There A Regret God Can’t Redeem?

Is There A Regret God Can’t Redeem?

Last updated on: March 21, 2016 at 8:08 am by Michelle Van Loon

Is There A Regret God Can’t Redeem? 2016-03-21T08:08:26-05:00 Michelle Van Loon

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I’ve spent a lot of time pondering the topic of regret. I’ve written a book about regret. I’ve written lots of blog posts on the subject. I speak on the topic. My message is always the same: God can redeem and repurpose every one of our regrets.

As a result, here’s a question no one has ever asked me: Is there a regret God can’t redeem?

Scripture tells us there is one man who allowed sin, then regret to come between him and the love of the best friend he ever had. He’s a key player in the story of Holy Week, and his story has something important to say to those of us who suspect that our regrets might be too big, too unspeakably awful for God to forgive, much less to redeem.

judas At first glance, Judas’ story seems to point toward the fact that maybe some things are indeed too terrible for God’s grace to cover them fully. We can only guess at where the seeds of greed, envy and lying first took root in Judas’ life. Some have suggested that he was never truly a follower of Jesus. Others believe he was a disciple, but like the shallow-rooted seeds in the parable, his faith withered in the sour soil of his own appetites.

In any case, his issues ignited after they arrived in Jerusalem just prior to Passover. They were at a dinner at a leper’s house when a woman came to Jesus and broke open a jar of expensive perfume over his feet.

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. (John 12:4-6)

That was it. The rage of his own greed incinerated all that had been good and lovely in his life. Three years with Jesus went up in smoke. Judas was not going to waste one more second of his life pouring it out in service to someone who didn’t seem at all interested in making the present-day Roman-upside-down Israel into the Promised Land once again. He determined Jesus had to be stopped. The religious authorities had been trying to get their hands on this renegade rabbi for weeks, but he’d always eluded their grasp – buried in a crowd or tucked away in the home of a sinner. Judas could lead them right to him.

Jesus and his disciples gathered in an upper room of a home in Jerusalem to re-tell the Passover story. Before they got too deep into their meal, Jesus washes his beloved friend Judas’ feet along with the others, and then sends his friend from the gathering on on pretext of an errand. He would let his friend do what he’d given himself to do, in the service of the evil one to whom he’d pledged his soul. Gospel writer John says of Jesus, “Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” (13:1)

And this love meant setting his friend free to do what had consumed him. Judas would betray the friend who loved him well, loved him perfectly, and loved him to his very end.

Later that night, Judas reappeared with a mob, and found his friend in the darkness, embracing him.

“Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” (Luke 22:48)

The adrenaline of silencing the man who’d stolen his life washed over Judas, drowning him…a sort of reverse baptism.

But he came back to life the next day.

Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”

“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”

So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. (Matthew 27:1-5)

Judas was looking for absolution from the wrong people. His unpardonable sin gave him exactly what he wanted, and he knew it. He also knew Jesus would forgive him if he sought it. But he simply didn’t want Jesus’ forgiveness.

There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.” All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. Those who knock it is opened. – C.S. Lewis

This week’s journey to the cross will end with a stone rolled away: Resurrection. And in light of the self-giving, sacrificial love of the One who loved us to death and then to life again, there is no regret in your life that is bigger than his mercy.

License: Image source

Regret

Uncategorized

Previous Post

March 16, 2016

At The Intersection Of Time & Eternity: Holy Week

Next Post

March 23, 2016 Rabbi: Passover Is For Christians, Too

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Baggage Books Calendar Church and Ministry CVID Ecclesiology Everyday Christian life Faith Falling Upward From The Margins Housing Jesus Movement's Unintended Consequences Midlife Midlife Survey #1 Midlife Survey #2 Moments and Days Out To The Margins Pilgrim's Road Trip Regret Seminary Spiritual Formation Uncategorized What's A Nice Jewish Grandmother Like You Doing In Seminary? When The Heart Waits Writing

Select a Month June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who said, "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Peter Paul Jesus John