Choosing Dollars Over Sense
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.
...When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table with the Twelve. While they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”
Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one, Lord?”
He replied, “One of you who has just eaten from this bowl with me will betray me. For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!”
Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, “Rabbi, am I the one?”
And Jesus told him, “You have said it.”
...And even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests and elders of the people. The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss.” So Judas came straight to Jesus. “Greetings, Rabbi!” he exclaimed and gave him the kiss.
Jesus said, “My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.” Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him.
Matthew 26:14-16, 20-25, 47-50 NLT
http://bible.com/116/mat.26.14-16,20-25,47-50.nlt
...Very early in the morning the leading priests and the elders of the people met again to lay plans for putting Jesus to death. Then they bound him, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.
When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.”
“What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.”
Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.
Matthew 27:1-5 NLT
http://bible.com/116/mat.27.1-5.nlt
...When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table with the Twelve. While they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”
Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one, Lord?”
He replied, “One of you who has just eaten from this bowl with me will betray me. For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!”
Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, “Rabbi, am I the one?”
And Jesus told him, “You have said it.”
...And even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests and elders of the people. The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss.” So Judas came straight to Jesus. “Greetings, Rabbi!” he exclaimed and gave him the kiss.
Jesus said, “My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.” Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him.
Matthew 26:14-16, 20-25, 47-50 NLT
http://bible.com/116/mat.26.14-16,20-25,47-50.nlt
...Very early in the morning the leading priests and the elders of the people met again to lay plans for putting Jesus to death. Then they bound him, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.
When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.”
“What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.”
Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.
Matthew 27:1-5 NLT
http://bible.com/116/mat.27.1-5.nlt
Judas walked with Jesus, served with Jesus (he was treasurer), ate with Jesus, was taught by Jesus. But Jesus was not His Lord, not His God. Money was. And when it came to it, He ultimately chose his Money God over Jesus. His heart chased after money far more than it chased after God’s heart and in the end it lead him down a dark path of betrayal and ultimately left him saturated in guilt - even to the point that he hung himself.
Ironically, the love of money leaves us bankrupt- spiritually and emotionally. It’s a God that refuses to ever satisfy us no matter what we sacrifice for it. It is a cruel God that we allow to control us. It’s a God that does the opposite of what it promises.
If only Judas would have actually believed Jesus when He heard Him say, “I Am the way, the truth and the life”(John 14:16). If only Judas would have taken to heart, and taken seriously all the sermons he heard and the miracles he saw. How utterly tragic that Judas was so close to God, yet so far away.
It makes me stop and question the Judas inside of me. Even as I am walking close to Jesus, am I letting Him be fully Lord, or in my heart am I somehow serving the God of Money - choosing him over Jesus at times? If I am, my actions and choices will show it. But thankfully I don’t resist the Money God alone. The Great Shepherd will never leave me nor forsake me and He will show me how to navigate through life trusting Him alone.
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