Pleasant Stone Devotional Meditation: March 24

"He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night" ~ John 13:30

Judas had been exposed to the heart of God. He had lived and talked and eaten with Jesus. He had watched Him heal. He had never seen Him lose His patience. He knew His compassion had no end. Judas had experienced the love of the One he was about to betray with a mocking symbol of "love." Judas had been exposed to the Lord's love. He had been affected by it as anyone who is ever exposed to it. He would not have killed himself for what he did, if he had been utterly untouched by the love of Christ. And since Judas had been exposed to His love, he had also been exposed to His light. Because Jesus is the "light of the world." I [Eugenia Price, the author] shudder when I attempt to imagine the violent turmoil in the heart of Judas as those gentle fingers handed him the bite of bread at their last supper. Even in letting him know He knew the evil intention of Judas' heart, the Lord handed him something to eat. He didn't point his finger at Judas. He gave them bread. Not knowing what else to do, Judas apparently ate the little piece of bread. And then, driven by the fury of fear and guilt and evil which raged within him, he ran from the room. "And it was night." It was dark out there without Jesus. It is always darker to those who consciously betray Him; who have been touched by His love and who have seen by His light. We are more aware of the darkness once we have known light. Turn off a bright light and you see nothing. The contrast is so great and the darkness so sudden, panic can come. But the Heart of love will follow you and He, Himself will be waiting for you to "return." It is night out there away from Jesus.

"... Return unto me, for I have redeemed the ... I am the light of the world ..."