What Are You Willing To Give Me?

Matthew 26:14-16 Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

Judas Iscariot is an interesting character in the Life and Passion of the Christ. Have you stopped to think about the role Judas played in the Passion? I am not going to be a Judas apologist in this devotional. Rather, I am going to walk you and I through how each of us, in our own way acts similar to how Judas acted. Bear with me please. The journey will be interesting and instructive.

Judas sold out Jesus for 30 silver coins. The full gravity of his betrayal would come later, along with his inability to deal with the magnitude of the betrayal. I am not suggesting you and I are the same as Judas. What I am suggesting is that each of us, in our own way can sell out Jesus in our hearts, our families, in our work place and other parts of our lives. We each in our own way, have an opportunity to place Jesus at the forefront. How we share, or chose not to share Christ in our families, or workplace, or wherever we encounter others is an opportunity to sellout. In exchange for not placing Christ first, we may chose to place something else first in our lives. We have asked the big question, “What are you willing to give me?” We may, or may not have 30 silver coins to show for the sell out. But the bargain has been made nonetheless. When people you know see you or hear you, do they see Christ? Maybe they see a pale version of Christ, or is Christ unrecognizable in how we act? Tough questions for sure. I know I do not like to confront myself with this. It makes me uncomfortable. This is part and parcel of that introspection we as believers take on at Lent. If it were an easy question to ask, it probably would not be worth asking. Please, take time and examine yourself. Ask yourself the question “What are you willing to give me?” Is there an element of your life that needs a bit of prayer for faith and help to improve? Think about it. 

Each of us is imperfect. And God our Father knows this. And yes, He loves us in spite of ourselves. He wants each of us to understand our brokenness and to grow from that knowledge. He also wants us to remember His grace is enough to fill that void. The Apostle Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 12: 8-10 after pleading three times with the Lord to remove the thorn in his flesh. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. God sent His perfect and precious Son to die for each and everyone. Not just the good ones, every one. The proof is found in the empty cross and empty cross. Remember our brokenness and embrace the grace that abounds in the love of Christ. That love is what we need to share in our lives.

PRAYER: Father, we who are broken look to You for healing of our hearts and our lives. Give us the faith to be courageous in sharing the love of Your Son. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.