Judas – Why Lady Gaga Got It Right
As I was preparing a homily for the Maundy Thursday service I was led to reflect upon the one who betrayed Jesus. We typically reflect upon the “Last Supper” and the events that follow seemingly quickly after that last intimate moment that Jesus has with His 12 disciples. For some reason I was drawn to reflect on Judas. Even in my own mind it seemed too controversial to share with a congregation that would consist mainly of people who, in my mind, could be easily offended. On Wednesday, I was convinced that Judas was exactly who I needed to analyze in the light of Jesus.
In a brilliant marketing move Lady Gaga released her second single from her forthcoming album “Born This Way,” entitled “Judas,” in the middle of Holy Week. It has catapulted her into competing with Rhianna for the number one spot on the pop charts Roman Catholics were immediately outraged as the former Catholic school girl turned bad girl made the move. In the lyrics Lady Gaga professes her love, not for Jesus, but for Judas. To turn it up a notch the shock-pop princess portrays Mary Magdalene in the music video as the one professing her love for the one who betrayed Jesus. I think Madonna might be a little envious of the antics. The director, Laurieann Gibson, even confesses that God somehow inspired and worked on the hearts of the people who worked on the video.
While, at first, it seems like a valid thing to be upset about I am more upset at the fact that those who the media choose to represent Christians act so upset.
The reality is that we should expect nothing else. The lost, those whose hearts have chosen the affection of self rather than God, should behave no other way if they are to be true to who they really are.
The fact is that Lady Gaga, by being honest about how the culture feels about Jesus, is closer to being transformed by Christ than if she continued to promote a lie that she really liked Jesus. In essence it is a confession of just how wicked the hearts of mankind are in light of the goodness of God. The reality is that the world loves Judas…the world is Judas.
Why is it that we would expect someone in the world to profess anything but love for the one in whom Satan entered?
In my study here are four somewhat sobering things I think we can learn through the life of Judas.
1. It is possible to experience God and still betray Him. While we do not hear much about Judas we can assume that he was present for miracles from feeding to resurrection. We can assume that he was one of the 12 sent out to perform miraculous deeds and preach as recorded in Luke. It is sobering to note that a miracle worker and a preacher also became a betrayer condemned to Hell.
2. It is possible to seem as though we follow Jesus and yet be alienated from other followers and thus isolated from receiving or giving the love He commands. It’s interesting in John 13 that Jesus gives his new command to “love one another” after Judas leaves the meal. Jesus knew the command would have fallen on deaf ears with Judas in the room, and by excusing him prior to giving the command makes complete sense. Judas was in the presence of Jesus, is noted as an apostle, and one of the 12 most intimately instructed by Jesus and yet no one knows Judas. No one could put their finger on who it might be to betray. Judas refused to share his struggle within the context of the fellowship of men he was hanging out with for three years, and it eventually leads to his ultimate destruction.
3. The Holy Spirit is far better than the physical Jesus when it comes to following Jesus. Jesus knew it, the Father knew it, the disciples knew it, but I’m not so sure that we know it. We often make the excuse that it would be easier to follow Jesus if He were still here. If we just got the face to face commands it would be easier for us to follow. In our use of that excuse we come very close to blaspheming the Holy Spirit. If we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, then how much more intimate could we be with Christ?
4. Our physical presence in church is not a guarantee of our eternal destination. This might be a no brainer for most of us, but the reality is that while many say with their mouth that they love Jesus their actions betray them. Their heart is, in reality, far from God and remains in an untransformed and rebellious state. Their unwillingness to admit the truth or even to try to discover it may eventually lead them to a fate similar to that of Judas.
Christians May Not Actually Be…A Game Changing Idea
This core value, which has really crystallized at Quest Community Church in Lexington, Kentucky, is one, in my humble opinion, every church in America needs to adopt.
People who say that they are Christians may not actually be known by Jesus. They may actually not be covered in His blood. They may actually be destined for Hell unless we begin to ponder this question.
How would we do weekends, or weekdays for that matter, differently if we assumed that almost everybody attending a worship service, Bible study, small group, or cookout were not Christians?
I have a deep unsettling passion that the reason American culture continues to look less like Jesus is because many, if not most, of the people who attend mass or a worship service in churches around the country say that they are Christian while in reality the risen Son of God, Messiah, Jesus has not been embraced by them.
They have accepted an idea in lieu of embracing a person. Their fruit is rotten (Matthew 12:33).
Pete Hise, pastor of Quest, had six minutes to share about this core value. It’s worth six minutes of your time to watch, listen, and ask yourself whether or not you’ll be standing in a Matthew 7 line.
23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’“
Pete likes the NLT, but I am loving the NET these days and I think that there is significance to being called a lawbreaker in light of the atoning death of Jesus. So, are you sure that you’ll not be standing in a Matthew 7 line? You cannot be called a lawbreaker if Jesus’ blood is on you. Have you been washed in His blood? If not leave me a comment, or pull me aside, or send me a note. Let’s talk about it.
Spiritual Formation vs. Conversion
In certain circles I continue to read/hear some things that disturb me. The way and tone and directness with which it is expressed is almost Pharisaical or Gnostical and neither of those approaches are a good marriage with the Way of Christ.
When I read/hear comments like:
“I’d rather have 500 sold out deeply spiritual people worshipping on the weekend than 5000 that are skin deep.”
“We need to focus on growing the one’s we have before we can go out and get more.”
“Knowing the Bible should be the priority right now.”
I cringe and in all honesty I tend to boil over with anger and passion.
If every church had focused upon “growing deeper” would any of the folks who make these kinds of comments have even come to a life saving relationship with Jesus?
We often forget that while people are lambs, most of the ones we are frustrated with from a spiritual growth standpoint are also adults. They have every right to exercise free will if only for the reason that this is the way that God wants it. They are not children who can be made to read their Bible, internalize the scripture, and be transformed by the knowledge. They can, and often do, choose not to.
None of us want a spiritually immature congregation. It sucks trying to lead people who choose to know very little, and obey even less. However, at the end of the day the Bible makes it very clear that the one responsible for the growth that we complain about, that we judge, that we often condemn is God.
God is responsible for the growth. The only thing we laborers are responsible for is planting and watering, but even then growth is God’s responsibility.
I’m thankful for the disunity in the Corinthian Church because if it were not for the problems that they faced we wouldn’t have what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1, “6I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.8 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.”
It may seem like semantics because now you can just complain that not enough watering is going on, but even so God is still responsible for the growth. In fact, just because we plant and water there is no guarantee growth will happen. Sometimes it could take several seasons of sewing and watering before the first sprout springs forth from the ground of the heart.
In reality conversion is spiritual formation. At conversion the Spirit is formed in us. I would argue that the most significant and abundant growth happens at this moment. All growth that follows will pale in comparison to what happens at the moment someone is transformed by the Word of God. It is a death to life experience, and as an embryonic growth happens a rates unparalleled in the rest of a humans life so it is with our rebirth.
Conversion is Spiritual Formation. It isn’t an either/or proposition. It should be a both/and proposition.
We cannot forsake being a light to the world for the sake of focusing upon the sheep we already have in the pen. We must find a way to water and not compromise the sewing of the seed. Too many people will die and go to Hell if we don’t find a way.