Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present. (Luke 22:1-6)   Now begins the passion narrative proper.  The night of Jesus' last supper with his disciples is quickly approaching.  Now, the religious leaders had been attempting to win the hearts of the crowds or catch Jesus in some heresy or political offence against Rome.  But to no avail.  Jesus eluded their traps and the crowds only loved him more.  So the plot thickens.  The leaders seek to find some way to get rid of Jesus when the crowds aren't present to see it. Jesus had just gotten done exhorting his disciples to stand firm in their faith, keep watch, and pray so that they might be able to stand before the son of man, but apparently Judas' heart was like the hard path in the parable of the sower: Satan was able to swoop in snatch that word of Jesus away before it had chance to sprout (Luke 8:12).     "Satan entered Judas" says Luke.  Way back at Jesus' temptations in the wilderness, we heard that the devil left Jesus until an opportune moment.  And while those same temptations and demonic work had continually pelted Jesus all through his ministry, now the opportune moment fully arrives.  Satan shows up and finds a ready host and partner in Judas.  Whatever else we may say or think about Judas, in the very least it can be said that he was not prepared for the spiritual battle of keeping watch in prayer.  Somehow he became confused, mistaking Jesus for the enemy instead of the devil.  Jesus would have brought Judas to life.  The devil would lead him on the path of death: Jesus' death, but also his own.  The words Jesus spoke over Jerusalem at his triumphal entry come to mind: "if you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes."      Did Judas do it for the money?  Did he do it because he wanted to usurp Jesus' place of authority?  Did he do it because he was fed up with Jesus' lack of ambition in being a political Messiah?  What made his heart hard ground for the Gospel, but fruitful ground for the devil's thorns?  We never do find out. Ultimately of course, this text invites us to look not at Judas, but at ourselves.  The fact that one of Jesus' closest followers and disciples betrayed him is an invitation to pause and reflect on the spiritual battle of our own discipleship.  Are we softening our hearts to hear and respond to the word of Jesus?  To watch and pray so that we might stand firm before him?  Or are we becoming callous, allowing the small, slow sins of pride, envy, sloth and others to give the devil a foothold?  Wherever we are: Jesus' word of grace comes to us today anew: repent and believe, he says.  Die in my death that you might live.  

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