What was I thinking?

“Mirror of the Passion” Lent devotion for March 3, 2022. Photo by Francesco De Tommaso on Unsplash

“Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the twelve” (Luke 22:3).

Many have wondered, “Why did Judas do it? Why did he agree to betray Jesus for money?” Here’s a reason: Satan got into his head. And here’s a question: could that ever happen to me?

Peter wrote that our adversary, the devil, prowls around like a lion, just looking for someone to devour. That old dragon, the loser of the battle in heaven wages war against the church. Scripture makes it sound like a real possibility.

So let’s think about this for a moment. How might Satan enter our lives? How would Satan get into our heads?

It’s not hard to justify our actions by claiming, “No one will know.” Or, “No one will get hurt.” And even, “Plenty of other people have done it.” All the way to, “Is it really so wrong?” None of those questions come from the Spirit of God. They must come from someone else. Guess who?

Satan gets into our heads the say way he always has. Lies. He’s the father of lies. Every lie originates with him. Every thought that something bad might just be good is an echo of the first temptation in the garden. If the fruit will make you a better person, how bad could it be to eat some?

What was going through Judas’ mind? Make a quick buck? Force Jesus to be a real Messiah? Teach those chief priests and teachers of the law a lesson they’d never forget? Jesus handled demons and storms. This should be a piece of cake.

I look at Judas and I can see myself. A couple of extra bucks under the table is no big deal. Jesus has bigger fish to fry in this fallen world. No one will now. No one gets hurt. How bad can it be?

Jesus did not come to this world because it’s not so bad. It’s bad. Real bad. All those things we think are no big deal are what nailed him to the cross. After they flogged him. Spit on him. Mocked him. Stripped him. And then buried him.

When that scene gets in your mind, you realize you’ve been had. Fooled. Deceived. Scammed.

You know, after the fact, you might wonder, “What was I thinking?” Yeah, guess who got into your head?

Lord, I think I’m one of those suckers born every minute. I don’t know what I was thinking. Thanks for coming to rescue me. Amen.