KISSING JESUS

I recently happened to listen to a ’Christian music station’ on the car radio. I rarely listen to contemporary religious music. But this song caught my ear… it was something about ‘Kissing Jesus, Kissing Jesus’ as an intimate form of worship I suppose. That was about all I got out of the song.

Later I was thinking about this and this came to me: The only one who ever kissed Jesus that we know about was Judas Iscariot in the Garden of Gethsemane. “Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders had sent a crowd of men. The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss. Then you can take him away under guard.” As soon as they arrived, Judas walked up to Jesus. “Rabbi!” he exclaimed, and gave him the kiss.” (Mark 14:43-45)

Some others may have kissed Jesus since a cursory or customary kiss is a common greeting in Mideast and other parts of the world (Mexico, South America, etc.) Like the ‘holy kiss’ mentioned four times in the New Testament letters of Paul.

I have never one time desired to kiss Jesus. I have desired many times to worship him. A kiss is just not worth thirty pieces of silver. But, then again, Jesus has been sold out many times for a lot less.

“Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!” Jesus