Holy Week Wednesday
“Betrayal”
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 deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
Matthew 26:14-16
Thought
On Wednesday of Holy Week, Judas Iscariot slips away from the group of disciples and makes his way to the chief priests. There are many theories for the motivation for this action; greed, misplaced hope for deliverance, frustration with unfulfilled expectations, self-preservation. It may have been some combination of these, and Luke goes on to tell us that Satan entered into Judas and set him on this path.
One thing we know is that, somewhere along the journey with Jesus, Judas switched masters. Betrayal is a form of disloyalty. It is the final act of a series of decisions that replace one allegiance with another. In our walk with Jesus, our initial infidelities, even though they may seem small and insignificant at the time, will be taken up by the enemy who is all too happy to encourage us on that path. Judas asked the chief priests, “What are you willing to give me?” The enemy is willing to give you whatever you want in order to buy away your loyalty to Jesus.
Following Jesus demands our complete surrender. This is why the image of the steward is so important and helpful. As stewards, we have surrendered our life, died to control, and renounced our penchant for ownership. We have forsaken all other masters in order to give ourselves fully to the Master. In this pandemic, we must ask how we betray Jesus through disloyalty? When followers of Jesus respond to crisis with fear, we betray our Lord. When we start blaming others for their action or lack of action, we betray our Lord. When we add to the sense of anger or anxiety or despair, we betray our Lord. The world is reeling under fear and uncertainty. As we walk with Jesus this Holy Week, let us ask Him to reveal in us the places where He feels the sting of our mixed allegiances. Let us seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance in naming our divided heart that we might trust in that Spirit to help us root it out. May we not be found disloyal in our journey with Jesus this Holy Week.
Questions
- What are our other masters?
- What must we do to return to Jesus as our only Lord this Holy Week?
- What might the world see if the body of Christ served only Him?
- How can that begin with me?
Prayer
Merciful God, Heavenly Father, it breaks our heart to think that we have betrayed you. Open our eyes to see where we are serving other masters. Help us to name our disloyalty. Holy Spirit, root out everything that has won our allegiance and heal our divided heart. Help us to follow only one master this Holy Week and throughout the rest of our life. Finally, show us how to love and serve our neighbor in a way that reflects our total allegiance to you as our Lord and Savior. In your holy and precious name, we pray. Amen.
