Another thing I have problems with in the Gospels is the role of Judas. He seems to play out the role set out for him. Jesus tells him to go and do what he had planned, yet he says that it would be better for his betrayer if he had never been born. It is mentioned in of the Gospels that Judas handled the money for Jesus and the disciples and he had been taking some of the money for himself. Did Judas simply betray Jesus simply for the money or was he playing out a role that God wanted him to play. If he was doing the latter why is his condemnation so complete? Jesus asked God to forgive those who were involved in his beatings and crucifixion, because they did not know what they were doing. Why did Judas get the same forgiveness? Judas committed suicide in extreme grief about what the had done. Would not a loving God forgive this act? Was Judas acting of his own free will or was he a sort of a puppet in a play?
I have never really understood the need of the shedding of blood for the forgiveness of sins, animals in the Old Testament and Jesus in the New Testament. The animals sacrificed in the Old Testament had to be without flaws of any kind. There is an emphasis placed on the lack of physical flaws in places in the Old Testament. Why would a loving God discriminate against people with defects over which they had no control? Why is there this emphasis on physical perfection? I do not understand why something or someone must die for sins to be forgiven. Yes, I know that blood sustains life, and it is through its being shed that the sins are forgiven. I do not understand for the need of this though. It seems that God could forgive people without this shedding.
No comments:
Post a Comment