The Gravity of Breathing [3] Tension

Gravity of Breathing [3] Tension

Tension | Oxford American Dictionary |
1 the state of being stretched tight
• a strained state or condition resulting from forces acting in opposition to each other.

2 mental or emotional strain
• a relationship between ideas or qualities with conflicting demands or implications

*There is no use of the word tension in the bible.

So how do you study something that isn’t even mentioned in the bible?

You have to study the concept. Define what you mean and search until you hit something that relates.

Tension is the idea of who you are and who you could be
of wanting to do good and always coming up short

Trying to walk and live like Jesus says
and always reverting back to being selfish and needy

Trying so hard to be the perfect Husband and father and Employee
yet saying something harsh when what was needed was sympathy
raising your voice when what was needed was mercy and grace
and exaggerating the story when what was needed was truth.

How do you deal with tension?
Between who you are and who you could be

How can we be one person on Sunday
and someone else during the week

How can we be one person at work
and someone else at home

How can we be one person when we’re around people
and someone else when we’re alone

How is it that we can be living in a small part of heaven on earth, and in a instant a piece of hell on earth invades

There must be some tension inside of Judas, A pull between who he wants to be, and who Jesus wants him to be. I don’t think Judas ever intended when he became a disciple to betray Jesus and hang himself. He never wanted to go that far.

It’s a thin line between disciple and betrayer.

It’s human to feel tension, as long as the result brings you back to God. The temptation when we feel tension is to immediately disconnect from God and rely on ourselves.

Judas was there for:
the feeding of the 5,000 // John 6:12
When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over.
Peter walking in water // Matthew 14:33
Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Lazarus raised from the dead // John 11:15
and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

Jesus gives him authority // Mt 10:1
He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

We try so hard to make Judas the villain, pure evil, Satan in human form. We want so badly to make him less human so we can’t see ourselves in him. In reality Judas had good intentions when he started following Christ just like all the other disciples. He saw, he heard, he felt, and he did the same things all the other disciples did.

so what happened to Judas to pull him apart.

Matthew 26:14-16 Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests 15and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. 16From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

It’s human to feel tension, as long as it brings you back to God

Then Temptation is when we feel tension to immediately disconnect from God and rely on ourselves.

The results were tragic for Judas.

So How do you deal with Tension?

Support on Judas / not my ideas
Scholars surmise that Judas may have been the only Judean among the twelve disciples of Jesus. This alone could have caused him to feel somewhat superior, as Judeans considered Galileans to be country dwellers or “bumpkins.” When Jesus gave him charge of the money box, it may have additionally boosted his ego.

Judas is often identified as a Zealot, an attribute held by only one other disciple, Simon the Zealot. We know that Judas was probably a Zealot by his surname, Iscariot. Researchers believe this is a form of the title sicarii, meaning “dagger-men,” a group of ultra-Zealots who carried a knife with them at all times to be prepared to assassinate traitors and capitulators. In English, we could call him Judas the Daggerman.

Though motivated primarily by socio-economic and political factors, the Zealots also had prophetic ideas driving them. They believed that if they turned Israel back to God and incited war against the Romans, the Messiah would arise to lead them and establish His Kingdom. This “understanding”resulted from misinterpreting many prophecies concerning Christ’s teachings. In short, the Zealots ignored many of the prophecies regarding His first coming and completely mis-timed those about the second.

Initially, Christ’s message probably aroused great excitement among the Zealots and their sympathizers. His early public teachings, in which He rarely mentions having to die for the sins of the world, seemed to fit their expectations of a Messiah who would turn the people back to God. The accompanying miracles, healings, and casting out of demons only added to their “proof.” Here was a righteous Jew, a descendant of David, who could lead them to victory over the Romans and usher in God’s Kingdom.

Judas must have been thrilled. Jesus the Messiah had chosen him to be one among His twelve — and had appointed him treasurer too. Surely, he would be a mighty king in the New World Order that they would establish. It was more than he had ever hoped or dreamed.

Yet at some point, Jesus’ message began to change. He frequently told His disciples that He would die—by crucifixion, of all things—and that this was a main reason for His coming. Judas began to notice that Jesus’ references to the Kingdom contradicted his own ideas of it. How could this be right? Daniel had prophesied of the Messiah’s coming at this time to set up the Kingdom that “shall stand forever” (Daniel 2:44; 7:13-14, 27; 9:24-25). Jesus, Judas thought, must be a false Messiah.

 

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John 6:67 - Show Context

“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.

Mt 10:1 - Show Context

He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

Mt 11:1 - Show Context

After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.

Mr 14:43 - Show Context

Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.

Mt 20:17 - Show Context

Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them,

Mt 26:16 - Show Context

From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

Mr 3:14 - Show Context

He appointed twelve–designating them apostles–that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach

Mr 4:10 - Show Context

When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables.

Mr 6:7 - Show Context

Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.

Mr 9:35 - Show Context

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

Mr 10:32 - Show Context

They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him.

Lu 8:1 - Show Context

After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him,

Lu 9:1 - Show Context

When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases,

Lu 22:3 - Show Context

Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve.

John 6:67 - Show Context

“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve