Don’t be a Judas with the moneybag, holding it for Jesus in your filthy rags.

You’re dipping your hands in and out with every whim or pleasure drought. That atheist Judas didn’t even believe God could see a denarius, let alone a copper penny. He didn’t stop to wonder if the Miracle Man could see thieving hands, those guilty fingers serving Mammon’s plans. Even to the end, Judas disbelieved. He sold out Jesus Christ before he stopped to grieve.

Don’t be a Judas with the moneybag, holding it for Jesus in your filthy rags.

If you really believe Christ’s treasure is better why not clutch it for good measure? I wonder if Judas felt self-righteous when he took coins from the purse. Did he have a caught-red-handed, guilt-deflecting speech rehearsed? Did he justify his actions on his own behalf as a trusted member of the Messiah’s staff? For thirty measly metal discs, he took an awful risk.

Don’t be a Judas with the money bag, holding it for Jesus in your filthy rags.

When did you become so headstrong that your guilty conviction didn’t feel wrong? There’s a reason we read about Judas in the Good Book: to encourage us to stop and take a deeper self-examining look. The Son of Man was betrayed by a thief who thought money brought his conscience relief. Judas was around at the sermon on the mount and he was around when Jesus said there was a cost to count.

This isn’t about money.