John 12:4-6
Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?  This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

Judas knew the value of the ointment but not the value of the anointed.  He cared not for the poor, but for what was in the bag.  He could count every cost, but he himself would never be spent for anyone else.  This kind of greed and selfishness destroys from the inside out and often hurts other people.  Judas was willing to sell Jesus for a little bit of profit, but in the end, he found that he had nothing at all.  What a sad story of a wasted life.

What kinds of things are we valuing in our walk with the Lord?  Are we a wolf in sheep’s clothing like Judas was, following along but only for his own gain?  Are we valuing treasures of this life more than our relationship with Jesus?  Is there something else that has stolen our attention away from what is really important?  Or, worse, would we be willing to steal something from the Lord’s work?

It’s so easy to go along with things without really buying in completely.  It’s easy to kind of float along on the surface without getting deep into the heart of things.  It’s easy to appear righteous without actually being so.  It’s easy to fool others or manipulate them or even prey on their good nature without ever getting caught.  If Judas hadn’t actually gone through with selling our Lord, perhaps the other disciples would have never found out that he wasn’t what he seemed.  But what kind of life does this kind of heart lead to?  Usually only a tragic end.

How genuine is our walk with Jesus, and how deep are we willing to go?  Are we willing to sell out completely for God, or will we let some worldly tug hold us back from serving Him wholeheartedly?  Is our heart to betray, to take, to keep for ourselves?  Or will we give our all for Jesus, have a heart for the poor and live for others and not ourselves?  It’s easy to take that low road that Judas chose, but it’s much more fulfilling to give our lives for a higher cause and the worthwhile purpose of serving our Lord.