The Table of Mercy: How Jesus Loved Judas
A Story of Relentless Love, Even When Betrayal is Certain
He was there from the beginning. Chosen, like the others. Called by name. "Follow Me." And Judas did. He walked the same dusty roads. Heard the same thunder in Jesus' voice when He rebuked storms and called dead men back to life. Judas saw bread multiply in His hands, wine fill jars from nothing, demons flee with a whimper. And through all of it, Jesus loved him. Not as a project. Not as a pawn in a cosmic plan. As a man. As a friend.
"Have not I chosen you twelve? And one of you is a devil?" [ John 6:70, ASV ]. He said it plainly. He knew. Long before the kiss in Gethsemane. Long before the thirty silver coins clinked together in a dark pouch. Jesus knew. And yet… He never withheld His heart.
That's what wrecks you. Not that Jesus tolerated Judas. But that He poured into him. For three years, He gave Judas everything He gave Peter, James, and John. Time. Teachings. Authority. Judas cast out demons. He healed the sick. He was sent, like the others, two by two. He held the money bag, trusted with their livelihood. He wasn't shunned or sidelined. He was loved.
You can almost hear it in Jesus' voice at the Last Supper. He washes Judas' feet—those very feet that would soon run to betray Him. The towel in His hands doesn't hesitate. There's no trembling, no recoiling. Just love. Unyielding, unoffended love.
And then, as the meal unfolds, Jesus says, "He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me." [ Matthew 26:23, ASV ]. It's not a cryptic warning—it's a final reach. A final invitation. Sharing the dish was a sign of intimacy. A token of deep friendship. Jesus is saying, "Even now, Judas, My heart is for you."
"Friend, do that for which thou art come." [ Matthew 26:50, ASV ]. That's what He said in the garden, when Judas came with soldiers and shadows. Friend. Not sarcasm. Not cold bitterness. Friend. One final word of mercy. One more glimpse into the fierce, unrelenting love of God.
And we—we must see this. We must let it burn in our hearts.
Because here's the truth: Jesus doesn't just love the lovable. He doesn't just invest in the ones who "turn out right." He loves freely, fully, and without self-protection. That's our call too. "Love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you; that ye may be sons of your Father who is in heaven." [ Matthew 5:44–45, ASV ]. That's not just an instruction. It's an invitation to become like Him.
He loved Judas not because of what Judas would do, but because of who Jesus is.
And that's the gospel. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us [ Romans 5:8 ]. He loved us with eyes wide open, knowing every betrayal, every denial, every moment we'd turn from Him. And He still came close. Still washed feet. Still broke the bread and offered the cup.
So now, when we love people who wound us, who misunderstand us, even betray us—it's not weakness. It's not naïve. It's divine. It's what sons and daughters of the Kingdom do. Because we've been loved like that.
And if Jesus could look Judas in the eyes, knowing all, and still call him "friend"…
Then maybe there's hope for all of us to love like that too.
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