Are You Willing to Kiss Judas?


In the Synoptic Gospels there's a poignant scene where Judas greets Jesus with a kiss. To be more precise, he betrays Jesus with a kiss. The narrative spawned the term Judas Kiss, an act of betrayal disguised as a gesture of friendship. There's a lesson there for those in ministry.

The kiss of betrayal probably wasn't their first. In the culture of the ancient Near East, it would not have been uncommon for two compatriots who shared affection and life to kiss thus. Jesus embraced Judas as a trusted disciple. He ate with him, traveled with him, and empowered him for ministry (Matthew 10:1-4). And in the end, he died for him (1 John 2:2).

So the question for those who follow Christ into ministry becomes: Are you willing to kiss Judas? In other words, are you willing to take a chance on another flawed human being? To trust them and partner with them in ministry knowing that it's possible you're kissing Judas? It's not an easy question to answer. We trust people because we believe we know them, but do we really? (Jeremiah 17:9)

Case in point: I just watched two men I love walk through something very public and ugly.

One was the betrayer. I don't hate him for that. I feel sadness for him and want to extend him grace. I pray the repentance he displays is deep and lasting. I pray God restores him in a way that loads words like grace and gospel with the full weight of glory. I believe in a redemptive outcome. I need to believe in that.

But the man my heart aches for the most is the one who was betrayed. He's been taking the body blows. He's been bearing the weight of his brother's sin in a way that looks a lot like Jesus. I've gotten to see him in some pretty trying circumstances and I've seen him walk in grace and truth. I don't suffer from hero worship. He's very open about his flaws. I've seen them.

One of his greatest strengths is his willingness to risk kissing Judas. He's nobody's fool, but hs isn't cynical either, even though he probably has good reason to be after decades in vocational ministry. I pray this latest sorrow doesn't change his willingness to be kissed.

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