Finding Good in the Bad
by Max Lucado
“Wish good for those who harm you; wish them well and do not curse them.� Romans 12:14 (NCV)
It would be hard to find someone worse than Judas. Some say he was a good man with a backfired strategy. I don't buy that. The Bible says, "Judas . . . was a thief" (John 12:6). The man was a crook. Somehow he was able to live in the presence of God and experience the miracles of Christ and remain unchanged. In the end he decided he'd rather have money than a friend, so he sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. . . . Judas was a scoundrel, a cheat, and a bum. How could anyone see him any other way?
I don't know, but Jesus did. Only inches from the face of his betrayer, Jesus looked at him and said, "Friend, do what you came to do" (Matthew 26:50). What Jesus saw in Judas as worthy of being called a friend, I can't imagine. But I do know that Jesus doesn't lie, and in that moment he saw something good in a very bad man. . . .
He can help us do the same with those who hurt us.
You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2009/11/14/ml_finding-good/
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Max Lucado
From: Just Like Jesus
Copyright (Word Publishing, 1998)
To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
http://www.maxlucado.com/info/view/about_max_lucado/
Tags: comfort, God's love, grace, Holy Spirit, Jesus, peace, power
November 14th, 2009 at 10:50 am
Jesus simply loved His enemies no matter what they did to Him or are they doing to Him now through His disciples(believers). The same is true with the Father in Heaven, as Jesus did and does what our Father in Heaven does.
If we can do what Jesus does-forgiving and loving the enemies-we truly are His disciples.
Blessings.
November 25th, 2009 at 2:09 am
i belive that judah did not have a choice but to betray jesus.the reason i say so is simple the bible says the word of God those not come back void. it was with in the plan of God for Juda to betray him if u could be in the presence of Jesus knowing al his miracles and power would you betray him? i dont think so would you dip your bread at the sometime as him would you want him to know that you have berrayed him. we need to look at the story of Juda as an example that the word of the lord are...