Empathy, Love, and Reimagining Judas' Story

Devotional

Day 1: Empathy as a Spiritual Practice

Empathy involves putting ourselves in someone else's shoes, trying to understand their motivations and actions before passing judgment. This practice helps us to see others, including those we might vilify, in a more compassionate light. Empathy is not just a social skill but a spiritual discipline that aligns us with the heart of God. By practicing empathy, we open ourselves to deeper connections with others and a more profound understanding of God's love for all humanity.

Empathy requires us to pause and consider the experiences and feelings of others. It challenges us to move beyond our initial judgments and to seek a deeper understanding of the complexities of human behavior. This practice can transform our relationships and our communities, fostering a culture of compassion and grace. As we strive to embody empathy, we reflect the love and mercy of God, who understands and cares for each of us intimately.

[23:22]

Romans 12:15-16 (ESV): "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight."

Reflection: Think of someone you have judged harshly. How can you practice empathy towards them today by trying to understand their perspective and motivations?

Day 2: Reimagining Judas

Judas' actions might have been driven by a desire to see Jesus succeed, to win. By reimagining his story, we can understand that he might have believed he was helping Jesus fulfill His mission. This challenges us to reconsider our own judgments and to see the humanity in those we might otherwise condemn. Reimagining Judas invites us to explore the complexities of human motivations and to extend grace even to those we find difficult to understand.

This perspective shift encourages us to look beyond labels and to consider the deeper stories behind people's actions. It reminds us that everyone has a context, and often, their actions are influenced by a mix of intentions, fears, and hopes. By reimagining Judas, we are called to a more compassionate and nuanced view of others, recognizing that our judgments are often limited and incomplete.

[41:01]

Matthew 7:1-2 (ESV): "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you."

Reflection: Think of someone you have labeled negatively. How can you reimagine their story in a way that allows you to see their humanity and extend grace to them?

Day 3: The Danger of Triumphalism

Our cultural and theological narratives often emphasize triumph and victory, sometimes at the expense of understanding and empathy. Recognizing this can help us embrace a more nuanced and compassionate view of God and others. Triumphalism can lead us to prioritize winning over relationships, success over compassion, and power over love. This mindset can distort our understanding of God's kingdom, which is built on humility, service, and sacrificial love.

By acknowledging the dangers of triumphalism, we can begin to shift our focus from winning to loving. This shift allows us to see the value in vulnerability, the strength in humility, and the power in compassion. It challenges us to let go of our need to always come out on top and to embrace a more Christ-like way of living that prioritizes love and grace.

[50:56]

James 4:10 (ESV): "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you."

Reflection: Reflect on an area of your life where you prioritize winning over relationships. How can you shift your focus to prioritize love and understanding instead?

Day 4: The Power of Love Over Winning

The path to liberation and salvation is paved by love—love for each other, for God, and for ourselves. This love is not based on our achievements or successes but on the unconditional love of God. We are all loved and beautiful, not because of what we do, but because we are loved by God. This truth liberates us from the pressure to perform and allows us to rest in the assurance of God's love.

Understanding that God's love is unconditional helps us to extend that same love to others. It frees us from the need to compete and compare, and it empowers us to build relationships based on mutual respect and compassion. This love transforms our lives and our communities, creating spaces where everyone is valued and cherished.

[53:53]

1 John 4:10-11 (ESV): "In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."

Reflection: Think of a relationship where you feel the need to prove yourself. How can you embrace and extend unconditional love in that relationship today?

Day 5: Embracing a God Who Loses

The radically good news of the Gospel is that Jesus showed us a God who cares more about relationships and love than about coming out on top. This challenges us to let go of our need to win and to embrace a God who chooses love, grace, and even suffering. Embracing a God who loses invites us to redefine success in terms of faithfulness, love, and service rather than power and victory.

This understanding of God calls us to a counter-cultural way of living. It encourages us to value relationships over achievements, to prioritize compassion over competition, and to seek God's kingdom through acts of love and service. By embracing a God who loses, we find true freedom and joy in living out the values of the Gospel.

[52:41]

Philippians 2:5-8 (ESV): "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

Reflection: Reflect on an area of your life where you feel the need to win. How can you embrace the values of love, grace, and service in that area today?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Good morning, beloved community of Connection United Methodist Church and all our guests and friends. Today, we gathered with hearts full of questions and the mystery of God surrounding us. We began our worship by lifting up our prayers, joys, and concerns, reminding ourselves of the power of communal prayer and empathy. We prayed for our country, for those affected by recent tragedies, and for personal concerns within our community.

Our focus today was on empathy, particularly through the lens of Judas Iscariot. We explored the concept of empathy by trying to understand Judas, often vilified as the ultimate betrayer. We discussed how empathy involves putting ourselves in someone else's shoes, trying to understand their motivations and actions before passing judgment.

Judas is often introduced in the Gospels as the one who betrayed Jesus, and this label has stuck with him throughout history. However, we delved deeper into his story, considering the possibility that Judas' actions were driven by a desire to see Jesus succeed, to win. Judas might have believed that by handing Jesus over, he was forcing Jesus to reveal His true power and establish His kingdom.

We reflected on our own lives, recognizing how our desire to win can sometimes lead us to act in ways that are unkind or unloving. We shared personal stories of how the drive to win has affected our relationships and actions. We also examined how our cultural and theological narratives often emphasize triumph and victory, sometimes at the expense of understanding and empathy.

In reimagining Judas' story, we considered the mistranslation of the Greek word "paradidomai," which means "to hand over" rather than "to betray." This shift in perspective helps us see Judas not as a villain but as someone who might have been trying to fulfill what he believed was Jesus' mission. We discussed how this reimagining challenges us to reconsider our own triumphalist views of God and to embrace a God who chooses love, grace, and even suffering over winning.

We concluded by affirming that the path to liberation and salvation is paved by love—love for each other, for God, and for ourselves. This love is not based on our achievements or successes but on the unconditional love of God. We are all loved and beautiful, not because of what we do, but because we are loved by God.

###

Key Takeaways

1. jD9W7KIA&t=1402s'>[23:22]
2. Reimagining Judas: Judas' actions might have been driven by a desire to see Jesus succeed, to win. By reimagining his story, we can understand that he might have believed he was helping Jesus fulfill His mission. This challenges us to reconsider our own judgments and to see the humanity in those we might otherwise condemn.

3. The Danger of Triumphalism: Our cultural and theological narratives often emphasize triumph and victory, sometimes at the expense of understanding and empathy. Recognizing this can help us embrace a more nuanced and compassionate view of God and others.

4. The Power of Love Over Winning: The path to liberation and salvation is paved by love—love for each other, for God, and for ourselves. This love is not based on our achievements or successes but on the unconditional love of God. We are all loved and beautiful, not because of what we do, but because we are loved by God.

5. Embracing a God Who Loses: The radically good news of the Gospel is that Jesus showed us a God who cares more about relationships and love than about coming out on top. This challenges us to let go of our need to win and to embrace a God who chooses love, grace, and even suffering.

### [23:22]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[13:07] - Communal Prayers
[18:10] - Opening Prayer
[22:46] - Children's Message on Empathy
[32:16] - Personal Story of Winning
[34:57] - Reimagining Judas
[39:36] - Media Consumption and Empathy
[44:03] - The Turning Point for Judas
[50:56] - The Danger of Triumphalism
[53:53] - The Power of Love Over Winning
[64:49] - Benediction

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 26:14-16 (NIV) — > Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

2. Mark 14:3-11 (NIV)
> While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly. “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

3. Romans 1:16 (NIV)
> For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

Observation Questions

What was Judas' motivation for going to the chief priests according to Matthew 26:14-16?
In Mark 14:3-11, what was the significance of the woman anointing Jesus with expensive perfume?
How does Paul describe the gospel in Romans 1:16, and why is he not ashamed of it?
According to the sermon, what might have been Judas' reasoning for handing over Jesus? [41:01]

Interpretation Questions

How does reimagining Judas' actions as "handing over" rather than "betraying" change our understanding of his character? [38:43]
What does the anointing of Jesus by the woman in Mark 14 symbolize, and why might this have been a turning point for Judas? [44:03]
How does the sermon challenge the traditional view of triumphalism in Christianity, and what alternative does it propose? [50:56]
What does it mean to embrace a God who chooses love, grace, and suffering over winning, as discussed in the sermon? [52:41]

Application Questions

Reflect on a time when your desire to win affected your relationships or actions. How can you prioritize empathy and understanding in similar situations in the future? [27:09]
How can you practice empathy in your daily life, especially towards those you might usually judge or vilify? [23:22]
In what ways can you challenge the cultural and theological narratives that emphasize triumph and victory over understanding and empathy? [50:56]
How can you embrace the concept of a God who loses, and what practical steps can you take to let go of your need to always come out on top? [52:41]
Think of a person in your life who you find difficult to understand or empathize with. What specific actions can you take this week to try to see things from their perspective?
How can you remind yourself daily that your worth is not based on achievements or successes but on the unconditional love of God? [53:53]
Identify one area in your life where you can choose love and grace over the need to win. What specific steps will you take to make this change? [53:53]

Sermon Clips

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "Know that you're not alone. Know that we journey together. And know that God is with you." [16:36] (7 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "Help us to examine our attachments and desires and to sense where you invite us to live more simply and deeply. Teach us that in letting go, we become free rather than deprived, generous rather than controlling, and spacious rather than restricted." [18:10] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "The path to liberation and salvation is not paved by our achievements or our successes or our performances. It's achieved by love. Love for each other. Love for God. And love for ourselves." [53:53] (19 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "We are loved. We are beautiful and nothing we have done and nothing we ever can do will change that. And that's the wonderfully good news that we get to go from here and share with whoever needs to hear it." [56:06] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "Blessed are you the sensitive one attuned to the feelings of others. Blessed are you with the emotional bandwidth to hear hard things without fixing or minimizing or deflecting. Blessed are you who chooses to show up without judgment with little gifts and small acts of practical help." [01:04:49] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "I think part of why Judas did what Judas did, part of why he handed over Jesus was because he wanted to win. He wanted to win. And he was scared that Jesus was going to lose. He was scared that Jesus was going to give up and not win." [27:09] (18 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "What if Judas was actually thinking that what he did was going to make sure that Jesus won? What if Judas was actually the most obedient of the disciples? And what if in his obedient mind, as a good disciple and calculating treasurer, he sold Jesus for those 30 pieces of silver so that the religious leaders would give Judas the audience and the platform that Judas knew he needed?" [41:01] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "But what Judas didn't or wouldn't or couldn't understand was that for Jesus, winning meant losing. And as we consider this possibility I wonder if it gives us pause. As we reflect on our own triumphalist understandings of who God is." [48:42] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "The truth is it's incredibly difficult to imagine worshiping a God who loses. It's why Paul had to declare to the church in Rome I am not ashamed of the gospel because plenty of people were. The good news is frankly absurd and ridiculous. That's why Judas can't grasp it. That's why I struggle to grasp it. What kind of a God gets crucified?" [52:41] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "For sinners are beautiful because they are loved. They are not loved because they are beautiful. And me us and them winners and losers Republicans and Democrats and everything in between gay and straight male and female trans, non-binary wherever you are on that spectrum we are loved we are beautiful and nothing we have done and nothing we ever can do will change that." [56:06] (41 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?