Pulpit Reflections: Fooling God
"Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, ‘Surely not I, Rabbi?’ Jesus answered, ‘Yes, it is you.’” -Matthew 26:25
I found the following illustration on the internet, but its application comes from God’s inerrant Word, aka, The Holy Bible.
At Harvard University, there was a very learned professor named Agassiz. For your information, Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz was a Swiss-American professor of biology and geology annointed by the University of Harvard in 1859 as professor of Zoology and geology. He founded the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard.
Anyway, he was so wise that his students went to great pains to try and put one over on the professor. Very carefully, they took parts from various bugs and with great skill they attached parts together to make a strange creation they were sure would baffle Agassiz.
One day they brought their masterpiece to class and asked the professor to identify the bug. Agassiz inspected the specimen with great care. The longer the time passed, the more certain the students grew in thinking they had managed to trick the university’s resident genius.
Finally, the professor straightened up and said, “Gentlemen, I have managed to identify your bug.” Barely able to control their laughing, the students asked the professor, “So, what is it?” Agassiz replied, “It’s a humbug.”
The last supper Jesus shared with his disciples should have been a time to give last-minute advice and to reminisce about the ‘good old days.’ For Jesus’ part of the meal’s fellowship was darkened by the hidden, upcoming betrayal of Judas.
When Jesus tried to call the traitor back from his soon-to-be committed crime, Judas decided to try and bluff by echoing the question of the other disciples, “Is it I?” Like the prank of the Harvard students, the professor, Jesus, could not be fooled.
Unlike the Harvard professor, Jesus is not only true man, he is also true God...the only-begotten Son of God. Jesus knew everything about the plot and he knew a “humbug” when he saw one.
It’s sad so many people follow in Judas’ footsteps. They live their lives acting as if God does not know what is happening and what they are doing. They believe if they can fool their friends, they can also fool the Lord.
All of us should know that none of our secrets can be hidden from God. Just as Jesus knew the sin of his disciple, he knows ours.
Like Judas, we are all humbugs and pretenders, filled and cloaked with transgressions. But there is a difference. Because of Jesus, the Lamb of God, our sins...no matter how hidden...are forgiven and we remain loved.