Thou dost protest too much: Reflection for Monday, April 14, 2025

There are times when people protest something because their sin hits a little too close to home. Judas is now at the point where his greed has caused him to be unable to understand the works of Jesus. Can it be the same with us? Readings for today.

Thou dost protest too much

There can be times when our selfishness rises to a level so high, that when what we want becomes threatened, we react badly. We get mad, stubborn and unreasonable. We appear self-righteous and seek to make bold moral pronouncements to hide our own selfishness.

We see this very clearly in the actions of Judas. While he appears to be concerned for the poor, by this time his heart is set too deeply on greed. This is particularly sad when we consider that it was often the most trusted member of the community that kept the purse.

When was it that Judas began to change? Maybe it was the first time he kept a little back for himself. It did not seem like much at first, but over time this desire for more became too strong. He started with a little, but had to have a lot.

Maybe it was the case that he wanted Jesus to act faster, to do more, to be the type of Messiah that was expected. The military leader, the man of action. Why didn’t Jesus act more like Judas wanted him to act?

Maybe it was the question about why Jesus could do such dramatic healing, but couldn’t get rid of the Romans. Maybe there was brokenness in the family of Judas that Jesus seemed not to pay any attention of healing or fixing.

Whatever it was, it became the case that Judas lost his way. And rather than allow himself to be found by Jesus, reclaimed by God, Judas decided it was all too much. If Jesus wasn’t going to take action, then Judas would take matters into his own hands.

Isn’t this how it works with sin? First, tempted a little bit. We give in. We fail to see how it is Jesus can help. We sin a little more. At some point, we decide not to seek out the help or the grace of Jesus. We can actually find ourselves fighting against Jesus himself.

But Jesus is the powerful Son of God. Using Saint John’s timeline in the gospel, it could be the case that Jesus stops in Bethany to eat with Martha, Mary and Lazarus just before his triumphal entry into Jerusalem which we heard yesterday.

Despite the protests of Judas, Jesus remains the servant of God. Isaiah describes the servant who is the just one. Despite the suffering, this servant is supported by God, upheld by God, loved by God.

Of course it is the case that Jesus never stopped loving Judas. Jesus continued to do all he could to offer the pathway of forgiveness, the pathway back to Jesus. At any point Judas could have turned to Jesus, confessed his sins, and been healed.

But when sin becomes too deep, it is all the more difficult to see our way out of it. Despite the necessary outpouring of God’s grace, we refuse to see. In the legal profession, there is a concept called willful blindness, where an organization or a person simply turns a blind eye to harm. They should have seen it, but they choose not to see it.

More than anything, this week is our chance to allow Jesus to open our eyes to our sin. It is our chance to end the charade, turn away from sin, and ask Jesus for a stronger relationship with him. This is the time! This is the day of salvation! Don’t wait a minute more. Come back to Jesus.

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