Then
Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on
Jesus feet and wiped His feet with her hair. And the whole house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, who
was later to betray Him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money
given to the poor? It was worth a year’s
wages.”
John 12:3-5
O-o-o-o, Judas is a caring, kind-hearted, and
generous man. Look, he is concerned for
the poor like Jesus was! Judas was the
keeper of the disciples’ moneybag, a trusted position, for sure. Judas Iscariot, a member of the Twelve
Disciples who traveled with Jesus, ate with Jesus, was daily taught by Jesus,
and occupied a front row seat during Jesus’ time here on earth. Judas’ motives just had to be pure with nary
a sin in sight----right?
Well, John 12:6 tells us more about Judas’
“heart for the poor.” He did not say this because he cared for the
poor, but because he was a thief; as keeper of the moneybag, he used to help
himself to what was put into it.
Judas was surrounded by godly men and the Son
of God, Himself, yet, selfishness was a huge factor in his life. He wanted Jesus to be a conquering political
leader who would free Israel from the tyrannical Roman rule. Instead he was seeing Jesus being more of the
prophesied Suffering Servant. Judas saw
his future hopes and dreams of being a member of a conquering hero’s inner
circle fading quickly.
Every sin starts with selfishness.
Judas was on a downhill run—self-centered,
self-absorbed, self-protecting, self-conscious, self-pitying, just plain
selfish.
His self, self, selfishness set into motion a
chain of decisions and consequences that lead to the betrayal and crucifixion
of our Lord, as well, as his own death by hanging. He has since been the most reviled man in
history.
What consequences of sin are you and I about to
release (or unleash) through our misguided, self-centered, selfish motives?
Lord, let the lessons from Judas cause me to
question my actions, words, and deeds before others suffer in the consequences
of my selfishness.
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