Matthew 26:14-16
Find a place and time free of distractions for the next 7-10 minutes. Sit comfortably and breathe deeply for a few seconds before you begin. As you breathe in, say the name of Jesus and become aware of his presence with you. As you breathe out, open your mind and heart to receive whatever Jesus has for you today.
The disciples have just witnessed the anointing of Jesus by a woman who poured out her devotion to him in an extravagant gesture. Now read Matthew 26:14-16 noting what happens next.
What was it about the woman’s gesture that sent Judas over the edge? We know from John’s Gospel that Judas oversaw the funds of the disciples and was skimming off the top for his own benefit. Could it be that the loss of the value of the perfumed oil was enough to enrage him? Or was he just fed up with Jesus’ non-violent ways and impatient to see the overthrow of the Romans? We can’t know the answer for sure, but what we do know is that in contrast to the woman who listened to Jesus, understood him, and then acted out of that understanding, Judas entirely missed the point.
As you have journeyed with Jesus through the Gospels over the past few months, how have you grown in your ability to hear him, understand him, and then act out of that understanding? Are you intent on letting Jesus alone set the course for your life and actions?
Sit with these questions for a moment and then discuss your thoughts with Jesus.
Read Matthew 26:14-16 again with this in mind.
In the Older Testament book of Zechariah there is a prophetic story that mirrors many of the details of Judas’ betrayal (Zechariah 11:4-13). In Zechariah’s prophecy, the payment of 30 pieces of silver indicated the value ascribed to the shepherd by the sheep, and the payment of these “wages” was accompanied by the shepherd’s revoking of the covenant he had made with them.
As Judas plays out this prophecy in real life, the old covenant that God made with Abraham and his descendants is about to be laid aside to make way for a new covenant that will be confirmed with the sacrificial blood of Jesus. This new covenant will make it possible for anyone who enters into relationship with Jesus to be restored to God and transformed into the person God intended them to be.
Just as the woman poured out her love for Jesus, Jesus is about to pour out his love for humanity. And the most tragic part of today’s passage is that Judas, along with the religious authorities, fails to understand and fails to receive the extravagant mercy and grace so freely offered to him.
Get still for a while and breathe in the name of Jesus. As you exhale, form a one or two-word request that expresses what you most want to say to Jesus right now. Stay with this as long as you need.
What might Jesus want you to hear and understand today?
What will you do to respond to that?
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