Selling Out

One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said,

‘What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?’

They paid him thirty pieces of silver, and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.”

Matthew 26:14-16

“What are you willing to give me?” How selfish, how self-centered? “What’s in it for me?” “How can I benefit from this?” Judas was not in it for the long haul. He had an expectation of what Jesus ought to be and when it seemed like it will not be realized, he jumped ship. It was Judas who went and sought out the chief priests. Just a couple of days ago he wanted Jesus to sell that jug of perfumed oil for 300 days’ worth of wages but now he is willing to settle for 30 pieces of silver. Where one’s treasure is so is their heart. Judas sold his heart to the world, to the enemy, and ultimately he sold his soul too.

What is your treasure? What is my treasure? Do we invest most of our time in chasing the latest trends? Making as much money as I possibly can? Crossing off as much as I can from my bucket list? Is God a part of any of it? Have we ever traded time with the Lord with a hobby or even just wasteful passing of time? My brothers and sisters: too much of the world has sought after the “chief priests” of the world and cashed in the Lord, selling Him out. We can’t afford to join them. The world may promise you 30 pieces of silver in the form of pleasure, possessions, wealth, fame, or power, but like the silver, it will eventually wear off and be used up. But if we give however many of pieces of silver we have to the Lord - time, talent or treasure, what we will be given is something so much greater, eternal life and fullness of joy and peace.

Who will we seek out today? The chief priests of the world or the Lord? Will we live honest lives with our integrity intact or will we be like Judas who shamefully answered the Lord, “Surely, it is not I Rabbi?”