Matthew 26:48-49
Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.

It was a moment that he could never have back—a kiss on the cheek, the ultimate betrayal, a cheap price paid for a King. What might have been going through Judas’ mind at that moment? He had followed Jesus during His entire ministry. Did the events of that time pass through his mind? Did he recall the time he first met Jesus? Did he remember the miracles and the promises, or had his mind been distracted all that time?

While Jesus was feeding the multitudes, was he counting the cost? When Jesus overturned the tables in the temple, did he pick up the coins that landed at his feet? When Jesus calmed the storms and cast out demons, healed the sick and raised the dead, was Judas’ mind elsewhere, thinking about the next payday and what could be gained and what could be spent? We see where his mind was when Mary broke the alabaster box and anointed Jesus’ head, and it is safe to say he probably thought more of the money bag than Jesus and what He was doing and teaching.

Judas had spent all that time with Jesus up close and personal, but he hadn’t learned compassion. He hadn’t learned to put others first. He hadn’t learned to give generously. He hadn’t learned what real wealth was or what real sacrifice meant. And certainly he hadn’t learned to trust God. We must be very careful about following the Lord with our own agenda in mind, following for our own gain. We must beware of focusing so much on riches and stuff and pieces of silver that we lose sight of the real treasure that is in our midst.

What an opportunity Judas had to sit at Jesus’ feet and learn of Him, and he wasted it so foolishly. He found out in the end that the money didn’t matter at all. Let’s guard against that in our lives, because no matter how faithfully we follow the Lord, Satan is always there to try to lead us astray and tempt us with his shiny but worthless treasures. Let’s not allow ourselves to get to a moment like Judas had, siding with the enemy, being a tool of Satan, even if it was part of God’s plan. And let us seek Jesus as our singular pursuit instead of gold that will simply pass away.