All the Gospels predict and document the betrayal by Judas. It’s easy for us to say, “Well, the betrayal was all part of God’s plan.” It is one thing to think God turned nightmare into Easter, but it is another to brush off a betrayal that led to a brutal, public crucifixion, by claiming this is how God works in the world. No, we must see the betrayal as a diabolical act perpetrated by a greedy man who sold the Savior for money.
We should never dismiss a betrayal by minimizing the act or the wounds. Jesus was betrayed but so were the other eleven and the various circles of Jesus’ followers, not least his mother and brothers. They all felt betrayal.
About Corey Sharpe
Where do we get our beliefs?
Three theological perspectives have significantly shaped my Christian identity: Evangelicalism, the early Methodist tradition and liberation theology.
From my coming to faith in a Baptist church and throughout my education in a Baptist school and college, I was nurtured by convictions that emphasized a spiritual rebirth, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and the centrality of the Bible. Even when I disagree with certain aspects of evangelicalism, it has deeply influenced my sense of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.
My seminary studies spawned my interest in early Methodism, particularly its approach to spiritual formation. Its leaders were convinced that only a foundation of doctrine and discipline would lead to a meaningful transformation of the heart and mind. In other words, having the mind of Christ enables me to be more like Christ.
Life in a suburban culture obscures the increasing gap between the poor and rich, as well as the Bible’s close identification with the poor. My doctoral work in socio-cultural context exposed me to liberation theology, which helps me see redemptive history as a history of oppressed groups, written from the perspective of the powerless, about a God who is actively involved with the poor in their struggles.
I am now the pastor at Mount Zion United Methodist Church in St Mary’s County, Maryland. Together my wife and I have 4 children.
The Other Six Days 