What Motivated Judas

# 312 - Today's Living Word comes from Mr 3:19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.”

Let's talk a little more about Judas. One of the amazing things about Judas is that even after witnessing all the power of Jesus working miracles, even after hearing Him speak, even after being given the power to heal end exorcise demons himself, he never came to saving faith.

On the very night that he betrayed Jesus, he addressed Jesus as Rabbi and not Lord. “Is it I Rabbi?” (Mt 26:25) Jesus was a great teacher to him, but not Lord. What was it that blinded him so?

The answer is money. It was Judas who complained about the ointment poured on the feet of Jesus because it was money that could have been put into the treasury and given to the poor, but as the Holy Spirit informs us through John, “He said this not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief.” (Jn 12:6)

And listen to his question to the high priests in Mt 26:15, “What will you GIVE me if I deliver Him over to you.” Judas was motivated by money. He followed Jesus only for the temporal fringe benefits.

Jesus stated Judas' problem clearly in Lu 16:13 "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

Judas serves as a reminder to all of us for all time to check our own motivation. Is Jesus just a great teacher to you? Is He just a benefactor? Or is He Lord? If He is truly Lord, than we should be interested in one thing, serving Him for His glory!

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.