A Discerning Heart Part 1

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. Today, pause to ponder the mystery of a man whose heart was so black that he could look Jesus in the eye and still betray Him to his enemies. Is it possible that you or I could be so near and yet so far?

Ponder this and then stay with us. From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Pastor Lutzer, the capacity for great evil lies within every heart. Tell us where we're going in today's message. Well, of course, today's message is about Judas.

And Dave, I need to tell you that many years ago, Rebecca and I were in Germany and we saw the passion play. And when it came to the soliloquy that Judas gave, it was difficult to hold back the tears, the wailing, the weeping, the regret. This is a very sobering message. It's a message that ought to strike our hearts because all of us are capable of huge deception. I've written a book entitled The Church in Babylon, and this is one of the last days we are making it available. But just opening it, I noticed that one of the chapters is entitled Jesus at the Church Door, Prayerless Pulpit, Satisfied Saints, and Spiritual Blindness. That could be true of us all. For a gift of any amount, this book can be yours.

Go to rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. And now let us listen to a man whose heart was clearly in the Babylon of his day. His first name is Judas. And the word Judas derived from Judah means praise. His last name is Iscariot, which means a man from Kirioth, a little town in southern Judah. We think of Judas Iscariot as the man who betrayed Jesus. What we sometimes forget is that he was at one time a teenager with all of the idealism, the hopes, and the dreams of youth. We also forget that at one time he was a little baby in his mother's arms, and apparently she and her husband had high hopes for him, naming him Judas, praised, possibly after Judas Maccabees, one of the great heroes of Israel. We don't know exactly when Judas and Jesus met, but we can imagine that when Jesus, after a night of prayer, chose Judas as one of his disciples, somehow within Judas his boyhood dreams of grandeur may have come to the surface.

We can imagine, almost in contemporary terms, how Judas might have said to himself, this will look good in the college alumni newspaper, Jesus chooses Judas. But the problem was that there were some character flaws in Judas which were not immediately discernible, but which became clear later. The experts tell us that when you have a blowout along the expressway, a tire blows out, that actually the small cracks that caused it probably are months old, if not years old.

But the cracks are microscopic, they can't be clearly seen, and then suddenly when you have a blowout you say, well now, look what happened, the tire became weak. But it was a weakness that was developing over a period of years. In the very same way as we take the lens and look into Judas's life and heart, as we shall do today, we discover that the blowout, the eventual decision to betray Christ, was actually long in coming because of those character flaws. Many of you will know that this is a series of messages titled When Jesus Has Your Heart, and today's message is a discerning heart. It's the kind of heart, I might add, that Judas did not have. It's the heart that the 11 disciples had, but Judas did not. When Jesus captures our hearts, we do have discerning hearts, but Jesus never did capture the heart of Judas. Let's look at the context of the 13th chapter of the Gospel of John, John chapter 13. Jesus had washed the feet of the disciples and he washed the feet of all the disciples. The feet of Judas were as clean as the feet of Peter, but unfortunately Judas's heart was foul, for evil had penetrated even the inner circle of Jesus Christ's disciples.

And what are those character flaws that led to Judas's betrayal of Jesus? First of all, he had a covetous heart, a covetous heart. If you were to take your Bibles at the 13th chapter of John and turn back just a page as it is in my Bible to the 12th chapter, you find in verse 2 there was a dinner that was given in Jesus' honor.

Martha served while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Verse 3, then Mary took a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume. She poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair.

The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, John is writing this letter after the event so that he understands now what he did not understand at the time. Judas objected, why was this perfume not sold in the money given to the poor?

It was worth a year's wages. John adds, he did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief and the keeper of the money bag, and he used to help himself to what was put into it. How did Judas pilfer money? Did he just put his hand in the bag and take it?

Maybe that's what he did. Maybe when he was sent to buy $50 worth of food, we could say he actually used 45, but said that he used the full 50 and pocketed the rest. One thing we do know about Judas is that he loved money. There's another statement of that found in the Gospel of Matthew that I shall read. It says this, then one of the twelve, one called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and asked, what are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?

So they counted out for him 30 silver coins. From then on, Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over. Now mind you, this covetous heart was cloaked with a great deal of religiosity. In Acts chapter 1, Peter is talking about what happened and the need to fulfill the vacancy that Judas created, and he says he had a part in this ministry. Remember the disciples did not know that Judas was a deceiver.

You know what that means. When the disciples healed the sick, Judas healed the sick. When the disciples cast out demons, it at least appeared as if Judas was casting out demons. When the disciples evangelized, Judas evangelized. He had a part of this ministry and in one level was one with those disciples.

As a matter of fact, it is not only true that his covetousness was cloaked with religion, it was also cloaked with deep friendship. Your Bible is now open to the thirteenth chapter of the Gospel of John. You'll notice it says in verse 18, Jesus is saying, I'm not referring to all of you. I know whom I have chosen, and he's talking about someone among them who is unclean, and then he says, but this is to fulfill the scripture. He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me. And Jesus is quoting Psalm 41 verse 9.

It's a reference to a man by the name of Ahithophel, who was a close friend of David, and that man ended up betraying David and going over to the side of the enemy. Now what's remarkable is the integrity of scripture, because the quotation in the Psalm says, he who ate bread with me, my friend whom I trusted, has lifted up his heel against me. You'll notice when Jesus quotes that passage, he leaves out that phrase, whom I trusted, because Jesus never did trust Judas. Jesus knew what was in his heart. But Jesus said, my friend, my friend with whom I have eaten, has lifted up his heel against me, has now betrayed me.

Have you ever experienced such betrayal of someone with whom you ate and someone whom you trusted, because we are all frail and cannot see the human heart? Judas had a covetous heart. He loved money.

If you were to say now, what is that crack that caused the eventual blowout? It began with that fixation on money. When Mary gave Jesus that great gift, John says, Judas objected, not because he cared for the poor. That was a cloak for his covetous heart, but because he was a thief and had the bag and bear what was put there in and pilfered from it. The love of money was the beginning of his downfall.

Well, there's a second character law. He had a covetous heart, but he also had, notice it now, a deceitful mind. Did you know that our minds tend to rationalize what our desires really want? We are basically desire driven.

We are not mind driven. We are driven by our desires. And the mind comes along and makes those desires plausible and gives us a reason to believe that it's OK to follow those desires. Judas reveals to us what is there. I mentioned that he had a covetous heart.

How do we know that he had a deceitful mind? The mind now is going to have to justify that which is in the heart. And we pick up the text of scripture. John 13, Jesus is speaking in verse 21. And after he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, I tell you the truth. One of you is going to betray me.

I want you to just hear the pathos in the heart and mind and voice of Jesus. One of you is going to betray me. To the everlasting credit of the disciples, they did not point fingers. They didn't say, well, you know, I've often wondered about Nathaniel. And Thomas didn't say to himself, you know that loudmouth Peter, he's probably the guy. Now according to the book of Matthew, where we have a similar account, each one of the disciples in effect went around the table and asked this question, surely not I, Lord. And then we read in Matthew chapter 26, this question, Judas, who would betray him said, notice the difference now, surely not I, Rabbi. He did not call Christ Lord, but I want you to know how he played the game.

They are all asking, is it not I? And Judas asks, surely it isn't I, Rabbi. And the disciples don't know what is lurking behind his heart and his mind, as smooth as oil. Now trust Peter to want to know who it is of whom Jesus is speaking. So Peter, he says, the disciples, the scripture says, stared at one another at a loss to know who of them might be meant. One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, that was John, was reclining next to him. So Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, in effect, John, you're closest to Jesus as they were sitting around this low table, actually not sitting on chairs.

That's a 16th century portrait, the one that we are used to, but reclining on the floor. And so Peter says to John, ask him who it is. And Jesus answered and said, it is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish. And then dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.

Jesus said, he is the one. But Jesus talked so silently that the rest of the disciples did not catch what is being said. John points that out in the very next verses.

But I want you to know what happens. Jesus is sitting there giving Judas the place of honor. Judas is to the left of Jesus.

John is in the bosom of Jesus as they recline in one another's bosoms, as it were, around this table. And there's no doubt that the reason Judas was at the place of honor is because Jesus invited him to come there and said, in effect, Judas, sit next to me. Today I honor you, but if you do not honor me someday, I shall have to condemn you. Judas, is this really what you want to do?

Is this really the desire of your heart? Now notice what happened. Judas takes the sop. It was customary to take a bit of mutton and to put it in the dish and to hand it to the honored guest, and Jesus honors him by giving it to him. And Judas receives it, and it says in verse 27, as soon as he took the bread, Satan entered into him.

It's time for a pause in this message. It's time that we just talked eye to eye, heart to heart, life to life, truth to truth. Do you notice it is not necessary to invite Satan in, in order for him to come in? Judas did not have to say, Satan, please enter me. Satan entered because as long as Judas was going to do the work of the devil, the devil, who does not play by rules, who is not a gentleman, who comes in uninvited, simply began to take over and said, you stand on my territory, you play my game, and I have come to take charge. Satan enters into him to give him the strength and the ability and the rationalizations to do what he needs to do, because sitting there in the presence of the disciples, he did not even blush.

Jesus said to him, what you're going to do, do quickly. The disciples don't know what Jesus is saying. They're still thinking that he's asking Judas to go and buy something.

That's what the text says. Verse 30, as soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out and it was night. What John wants us to understand is that he who was now night goes into the blackness, into the darkness, because all of the night of that fateful evening in Jerusalem was now wrapped up in the heart of Judas, whose heart had been tainted by Satan. The behavior of a saint, but the heart of a devil. What was it that caused Judas to betray Christ? He had a covetous heart.

Get that money, whether you lie for it, whether you steal about it, whether you betray for it, at all costs, get it. But then he had a deceitful mind that came along and said, I'm going to go through the charade. I'm going to go through the game and play it in such a way that the other disciples will not even know who I really am.

Jesus knows, but they won't. There's a third character flaw, and that is a very determined will, a very determined will. He has such a hard heart now at this point that he's determined to do several things. First of all, he's determined to betray Jesus at all costs, and the cost for him was hell. But at all costs, he will betray Jesus. We read in the book of Matthew how it went. While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd, armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them.

Notice this. The one I kiss is the man. Arrest him. Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, Greetings, Rabbi, and kissed him.

Jesus, ever the gentleman, replies, Friend, friend, do what you've come to do. I'm so sobered by those words. I'm so sobered by the deception of the human heart. In my book entitled The Church in Babylon, I tell a story of a friend of mine in Germany who said that he was in a church where hand bells were being played. Someone who was inebriated walked to the front, took the tablecloth and shook it, and of course all of the hand bells went in different directions, but the music kept playing. You've heard of lip sync?

Well, this was hand bell sync. Is that the way your life is? Just a charade?

You're playing but you're not real? I wrote this book entitled The Church in Babylon, and by the way, this is one of the last times we are making it available to you. I wrote the book to help us to understand what is happening in the culture, but also to understand the deception of the human heart, and how this is not a time for us to play church.

For a gift of any amount, this book can be yours. Here's what you can do. Go to rtwoffer.com, and let me pause and thank you in advance for helping us.

Running to Win exists because of the friendship and the support of thousands of people just like you. Go to rtwoffer.com, or if you prefer, you can call us at 1-888-218-9337. As a matter of fact, you can call right now. Let me give you that number again, 1-888-218-9337. Meanwhile, let us search our hearts that we might not be a Judas, but that we, like the other disciples, might follow Jesus Christ all the way to the end. It's time again for you to ask Pastor Lutzer a question you may have about the Bible or the Christian life. How do you handle a boss who has it out for you?

Sherry from North Carolina asks, I'm an African American woman who teaches at a small college. The Lord has given me a great opportunity to help build their music department by starting their first instrumental music division. While any enterprise like this is both exciting and challenging, there have been many ups and downs, but the Lord has granted grace through these times. My department chair, who claims to be a Christian, has become my spear thrower, as you describe in your book, When You've Been Wronged. Your advice about getting away from the spear thrower is good, but what about when I cannot get away?

From a career standpoint, I need to build my level of performance and build my student base to have any credibility in my field. What should I do? Sherry, first of all, my sister let me say that my heart goes out to you, and I know it must be very difficult to work with someone and for someone who is not on your side. But having said that, there's very little that you can do about your predicament unless of course you feel confident enough that you can discuss the predicament with him. I pray that you will be able to. And maybe if you share your heart with your boss and say, you know, in these instances, it appears as if you've really not been on my side and there are things that are happening here that inhibit my ability to serve you well. It could well be that if you humble yourself, he'll be willing to come through and to say, yes, I see what you are saying, and some resolution can happen. Now, if that doesn't happen, however, then the only thing that you can do is to bear it.

And remember this, this has been a great encouragement to me. God would never have allowed the pain that you are going through unless he intended that it bear fruit. You remember when I discussed spear throwers, and that of course is a reference to Saul who tried to pin David to the wall.

Saul was a spear thrower. God preserved David for 10 long years before Saul died. And I don't know how long you've been in your position, but just know that God will preserve you. You're working in an environment that is not conducive to all of your abilities and your desires, but God will use you where you are. I suggest that you stay, that you pray, that you commit, and that you communicate, and God will help you all the way to the end.

You can write to us at Running to Win, 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60614. It's good to pause in the race of life long enough to examine our hearts and find out what really motivates us. Judas shows us how far away we can fall from Christ, even though to all observers we seem to be children of God. Next time on Running to Win, more details on the tragic fall of Judas and the lessons we must learn from it. Thanks for listening. This is Dave McAllister. Running to Win is sponsored by the Moody Church.