Judas Was in the Grip of Greed

He was a thief.John 12:6A great deal has been written about why Judas betrayed Jesus. But the Bible only identifies one issue, and that was money. Judas was gripped by the power of money.Six days before the Passover, a dinner was given in honour of Jesus. Judas was there along with the other disciples. We are told that Mary took a pint of pure nard, a very expensive perfume, and poured it over Jesus, wiping His feet with her hair. It was a lavish gift and a beautiful expression of love.But Judas was frustrated. “Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, ‘Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?’ He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it” (John 12:4-6).The money that was managed by Judas was used for two purposes—first, to sustain Jesus and the disciples, and second, to give to the poor. But Judas was stealing money from the bag, and of course, the more money in the bag, the more opportunity he would have to siphon some off for himself. So, Judas wanted the giving to grow.When Judas said that the money should have been sold and given to the poor, what he meant was that the money should have been placed in the bag that he managed. Since that was his mindset, he must have been very frustrated at what he saw as “missed opportunities.”Do you see anything in your words, attitudes, or actions that might be a red light, indicating that greed is starting to get a grip on your life?