Read: Matthew
27:1-10
Then Judas, which had betrayed him…brought again the thirty pieces of
silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have
betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to
that. Matthew
27:3-4
All I have to do is mention the name
Judas, and more than likely, it instantly conjures up an image of disgust in
your mind. Judas was the coward who decided he would betray the most innocent
man to ever walk the earth, Jesus Christ, for a measly thirty pieces of silver
(thirty pieces of silver was the going price for a slave). As soon as the coins
jingled together between his worthless palms, Judas felt the waves of guilt
flood his soul like a tsunami, and he knew he had made a mistake. He took the
money to the chief priests, his co-conspirators, and tried to make them take it
back. They laughed in his face. It was he who had betrayed Jesus Christ. He had
accepted the blood money. He was the guilty one. The chief priests had what
they wanted, and they had no cares about how Judas felt. The waves of guilt
pushed so hard upon the betrayer that he was forced to drop the money and retreat
to a precipice where he prepared the rope where his lifeless body would soon
hang. His corpse was later discovered beneath the rope – broken in pieces – a
symbol of the life that once lived inside it.
Sin is much like the chief priests, and
the sinner like Judas. The devil’s sole interest is to get you to sin so he can
continue to hurt God, his arch-enemy. He will use anything he can to accomplish
that purpose. He might use alcohol, drugs, music, movies, television, or
pornography to try to get you to fall. Quite frankly, he doesn’t care what
device he must use if he can make you sin against God. Much like the chief
priests bribed Judas with silver, the devil will bribe you with any sin that he
can make look appealing. He will hold out his hands full of good pleasures to
try to lure you toward his devices. When he finally has what he wants – your
life in shambles – he will laugh in your face. You may beg for the results of
sin to be reversed. You may plead for the chance to go back a few years and
start over, but it will all be in vain. It was you who betrayed your Lord for a
few days of pleasure. You fell for the lies and deception. You are the guilty
one. Just as the chief priests were hardened toward Judas’ feelings of guilt,
the devil has no cares about what happens to you when you have followed him to
destruction.
Heed the advice of your parents and
counselors. Listen to the warnings they give you concerning the divisiveness of
Satan. He is not looking out for you; he cares only about advancing his agenda
in your life. In the end, you will be left holding the bag full of “blood
money,” and he will be rejoicing that you have betrayed your Saviour for such a
small sum.
Quote
of the day: “If you don’t want anyone to find out, don’t do it.” – Chinese Proverb
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