Holding it agianst you!

You know it's almost funny as I reflect on how many people hold grudges against one another and how many grudges we hold against others. Sometimes it seems that we lack common compassion and the love to forgive. I wonder how many people from my past are still holding things against me that happened long ago? Let's look at the text of my reflection this morning:

Matthew 27

Jesus Brought before Pilate

27When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus in order to bring about his death. ²They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

The Suicide of Judas

3 When Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. ⁴He said, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.’ But they said, ‘What is that to us? See to it yourself.’ ⁵Throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed; and he went and hanged himself.

⁶But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, ‘It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since they are blood money.’ ⁷After conferring together, they used them to buy the potter’s field as a place to bury foreigners. ⁸For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. ⁹Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah, ‘And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the one on whom a price had been set, on whom some of the people of Israel had set a price, ¹⁰and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.’

As I reflected on this text today, all I could think about was poor Judas! Judas realized that what he had done was so very wrong and went to the leaders to REPENT, to ask for forgiveness. Despite Judas plea they had no compassion and continued to hold it against him. Judas made the mistake of asking people for forgiveness, when truly we know that Christ had forgiven him, just as Christ forgives all of us.

Thinking about this scripture I've decided to forgive and let go of the bitterness that I have been holding on to, and I pray that others forgive me. Unlike the leaders in the text I don't want hurt, harm or blood on my hands. Thank God for the lessons of Judas. In closing, what are you holding on to today that God is requiring you to let go of, what grudges have you kept way to long?

Dear God help us to have the same love, and compassion for others that you have for us. Amen!

Until next time, Be well!
Love P.J.