Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Matthew 10:1-4 NIV
Jesus knew Judas’ heart. That is perhaps the most unsettling truth in Matthew 10. When Jesus compiled his list of twelve, he already knew every heart he was choosing. He saw Judas clearly — fully aware that this man was not where he should be. Yet he still called him. He gave him closeness, access, and authority. He furthermore equipped him to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease in his name (Matthew 10:1). Not becoming like Judas Iscariot begins with sitting with that fact.
Judas was not a bystander. Indeed, he was listed by name alongside Peter, James, and John. He received the same commission. He performed miracles under the same authority. So proximity to Jesus did not protect him, because closeness without surrender is hollow. Jesus gave Judas repeated opportunities to repent — chances for a genuine change of heart. Yet Judas did not take them. Consequently, he did not arrive at ruin by accident; he arrived there by continued, unchecked refusal.
Not Becoming Like Judas Iscariot: The Danger of Presumption
The real danger in Judas’s story is presumption. It is the quiet assumption that one can live however one chooses. Ultimately, everything will still be cool and fine before God — or so the slow drift of the human heart assumes. Judas had access to truth. He sat under the direct teaching of Jesus. Yet he walked steadily towards betrayal. In addition, the final horror is not simply that he fell — it is that he had every opportunity not to. Not becoming like Judas Iscariot means refusing that assumption in our own hearts. It means taking seriously the gap between knowing the right thing and actually doing it.
The Honest Struggle
Not every drift from God is dramatic. More often, it is quiet. It is hours lost scrolling social media when the heart already knows better. It is a growing conviction that one feels but does not act upon. That gentle nudge to refocus goes unheeded. There is something honest in naming that tension. Knowing what is wrong and yet continuing in it mirrors precisely the pattern Judas embodied. However, the mercy here is significant. The very desire to change is itself a sign of grace. God is often calling through the very conviction we feel — drawing attention, inviting response. That prayer — “Lord, I don’t want to be like him; help me” — is not the cry of someone beyond reach. It is, therefore, a prayer he answers.
Living It Out
Ask God for the grace to respond rightly to his conviction. Do not settle for feeling the nudge without acting on it. The difference between Judas and a repentant disciple is not the struggle — it is the response.