Repent and Return

I’m convinced that it is possible to spend a lifetime in church and never learn anything about the value or the responsibility of loving people. Mean people drive would-be believers away from Jesus pretty often. In the parable of the two sons recorded as Luke 15:11-32, Jesus said that the younger son repented of his foolishness and decided to return to his father’s house.

His repentance amounted to changing his mind about the life that he had experienced in his father’s home. The famine and his loss of financial strength combined to change his perspective about value and relationship. He went home with the plan of asking his father to accept him as a slave, since he had, in his mind, squandered his relationship as a son.

Peter used foul language to exclaim that he did not know Jesus when Jesus was in the deepest trouble and the greatest level of despair He had known. Judas was the cause of the situation being at the disadvantage of Jesus, by helping corrupt Jewish leaders arrest Him when no crowds were around to rise up against them.

John wrote that, during the Passover meal before Jesus died, Jesus instructed Judas to betray Him (John 13:21-30). In the process of sending Judas on the mission, Jesus dipped a piece of bread in the lamb broth on the table. When Jesus handed the piece of bread to Judas, satan entered him.

Matthew wrote (Matthew 27:3-10) that Judas changed his mind about what he had done after he understood what it caused. A changed mind is the essence of the word “repent.” It does not mean to change behavior. It means a change of belief or of mental process (metanoeo – Strong’s Greek #3340). In that same passage, Matthew indicated that the work of betrayal was fulfillment of a prophetic word by Jeremiah, including that the Lord had directed the process.

Peter repented for his denial. Judas repented for his betrayal. The difference in their ends is that Peter knew that Jesus loved him. Judas had learned nothing in his time with Jesus about the meaning nor the practice of love.

Jesus had previously told Judas one day that he would rule over one of the tribes of Israel in the resurrection. There is no Scripture that indicates that Jesus repented of that prophetic announcement.

No matter what you do or fail to do, always quickly go home to your Father. He loves you. He wants to teach you how to manifest that love to others. He is reconciling the world to Himself through the love of Jesus. Repent!