"FOR 30 PIECES OF SILVER"

From The Desk Of Rev. Joan Krempel

"He who dips his hand in the bowl with me..."

"He to whom I give the sop..."

"One of you shall betray me" ("Is it I?", asked Judas) "You said it," replied Jesus.

Jesus confirmed to Judas that he was the one who would betray him before he left the room. If Judas had been clean, his heart would have ben listening. But because he had dark thoughts and a dull heart, Satan was able to enter into him as soon as the morsel was on his tongue. He was so blinded to truth, Jesus’ words were not tasted, chewed or digested.

Was Satan in the morsel of bread or lamb that was dipped in the sauce? No, for the holy and annointed hand of Our Lord was holding that morsel when He laid it on the tongue of Judas. It was often customary for a host to honor a special guest by dipping a choice morsel and laying it on the honored tongue. Judas was the only one that night to receive this honor so he was too puffed up to notice or hear those prophetic words.

Satan entered Judas by permission, and right on cue at Jesus’ Word. Jesus, who was the Word made flesh said, "It is he to whom I give the sop." And as soon as the morsel was laid, Satan entered into Judas.

There were thirteen people at the table that night, all dipping their bread and lamb into the sop with Jesus - though most of them were probably more polite and waited a turn rather than dipping when He dipped - still no one knows what custom they practiced on this. All we know is that Jesus made the statement ("Watch now fellas, I’m going to show you the betrayer"). Then He dipped the choice morsel in the sauce at the same time Judas dipped, and He laid it on Judas’ tongue.

This was as clear a signal as you could ask for, but Judas was so inflated with pride he didn’t hear the signal. Even when Jesus said, "What you have to do, do it quickly," the words did not penetrate the heart or the understanding in Judas. It never occurred to him to ask Jesus what He meant, or to be embarrassed, ashamed or to just plain deny it. He simply rose from the table, gathered his robe and left the room.

Was this a setup? Well, Jesus had said some time earlier, "Have I not chosen you twelve and one of you is a devil?" Jesus had known all along what Judas was and that the time would come when He would need a betrayal and this little devil would do just fine. Our born-again spirits cannot understand such things but the Word does tell us that God knows every heart and knows those who will believe and those who will not. Yet, everyone is given chance after chance after chance until the Spirit no longer strives with them and leaves them for good.

Judas had walked with Jesus for three years, had heard his teaching, seen His grief but the heart of Judas was selfish, self-centered and entertained carnal doubts.Truth had not been able to enter that stony heart in three years. Sounds a bit like those who sit in the church pew every Sunday morning for 50 years and are still not saved. Enough penetrates to convict them but not enough to change their hearts.

They count on church membership and attendance to get them into Heaven, just as Judas counted on being one of the twelve elect to get him there. Oh, he was convicted and he wanted to go to Heaven but he didn’t want to be a hanger-on like John - He would just be one of the boys - that was enough. In the meantime, he might line his pockets a little here and there just in case this all blows over...

It wasn’t until he discovered they were going to crucify Jesus that he was really convicted, and filled with remorse for what he had done. Caiaphas had lied to him. Caiaphas had said all they wanted to do was talk with Jesus and Judas didn’t see any harm in that. For 30 pieces of silver they had betrayed Judas who had betrayed Jesus. Judas threw the 30 pieces of silver on the temple floor and, in shame and despair, went out into the field and hung himself. Satan had driven him to that.

It was a mere 30 pieces of silver, a small price for the number one catch of the century. Caiaphas and his partners in conspiracy would have paid a lot more but Judas thought small, and he accepted their pitiful offer as the customary rate for the head of a trouble maker. What I can’t understand is this - King David had paid 60 pieces of silver for a pair of oxen and the threshing flood of Jebus. He had paid only 600 pieces of silver for the whole city of Jerusalem.

Neither Caiaphas nor Judas realized the man they bargained for was worth more than their beautiful city, or the whole country for that matter. Judas had been present when Jesus finally revealed who He really was. Peter had declared by the revelation of the Holy Spirit that Jesus was the Son of God and Jesus had confirmed it. Hadn’t he heard?

Surely the Son of God was worth more than a pair of Oxen and a threshing floor. Surely a betrayal of the Messiah was worth more than 30 pieces of silver. It was an insulting paltry sum that Judas considered acceptable. To his greedy little mind, his deed was well worth 30 pieces of silver and no harm would be done. All they wanted to do was talk with Jesus.

That’s the way Satan works. If he can blind you to the truth, he can use you against it and when you have done his bidding, he will destroy you.

As one reviews this event it takes on the appearance of a warning to those of us who also walk in that inner circle and dip our bread in the sop with Jesus. We too sit at His table and feast on the lamb, the bread , the sauce and the wine. Do we ever walk out afterward and betray Him for 30 pieces of silver? I have reviewed the possibilities and after due consideration I have found that we are guilty:

1.   When we compromise His Word for $30.00 of pleasure.

2.   Whenever we accept favor from someone who curses His name.

3.   When we quench the Spirit.

4.   When we cast our spiritual treasures before pigs and wolves.

5.   When we are men-pleasers instead of God-pleasers.

6.   When we socialize with unbelievers and eat of their fruit. (Socialize - just don’t eat)

7.   When we spend for luxuries and ignore the needs of others.

8.   When we allow pride, jealousy and greed to hinder our testimony.

9.   When we allow truth-killers to intimidate the weak. (Speak up- expose them)

10. When we humor and placate those who say there is no God.

11. When we are increased at the painful cost of another’s loss.

12. When we fail to forgive and show mercy or compassion.

13. When we slander each other, we slander Him, for He lives within the believer. Harsh words strike like a fist, mockery lashes like a whip, and hate can drive a spear through the heart.

Every time we sell Him short, or encourage others to, we collect 30 pieces of silver.

That was the last recorded price on His head. That precious thorn-crowned head, from which every drop of blood would cover ten thousand souls. There isn’t enough money in Heaven, Hell and Earth combined to tempt us to betray that priceless head. So let’s stop collecting those 30 pieces of silver and warn others, "How many times can you betray Him before you hang yourself?"...