Monday 15th April 2019. Read Isaiah 42:1-7, Psalm 27 and John 12:1-11
_“This he said, not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box he used to take what was put into it.” *(John 12:6)*_
It is very easy to lie to others; to give a false impression of ourselves; to make people believe we are something when in reality, we are not. This is the story of Judas Iscariot and it is also our story.
Listening to Judas, one would immediately get the impression that he was a man that actually cared for the poor; a good man; a philanthropist. However, as John tells us, he was a thief and he used to help himself with money that was under his care.
Now the question is: who was Judas Iscariot trying to deceive? God? How on earth did Judas think he could disguise forever? Why complain openly about an expensive jar of ointment used in anointing Jesus’ feet when deep down within his heart, he wished that ointment could be sold and the money put in his pocket?
Dear friends, life shouldn’t be all about making impressions, we are not actors on stage. What anyone thinks about us doesn’t really matter. What matters is the truth of who we are. This is because a time comes when the drama has to end and people will get to see the real faces of the characters at the show.
No one ever imagined Judas was a thief or that he could even think of the idea of selling Jesus for just thirty pieces of silver. He acted so well all the while and was never caught one day. Jesus kept giving him chances after chances to repent but he felt he could pretend forever.
Don’t just be seen to be holy. Be Holy. Be a person of integrity. Speak the truth and live out the truth. Like Judas Iscariot, there are many Christians today go about begging for alms in the name of the poor but those monies end up in their personal pockets.
Some of us in the religious circle are guilty of this grave sin. We take pictures from Africa; pictures of poor starving kids, we then go abroad asking for donations to “save lives” only to return and start living big. Some who have conscience manage to give a tiny fraction of our “loot” to a few poor persons while we keep the rest to ourselves. This is stealing.
Imagine if Judas had opened up to Jesus or even allowed the words of Jesus’ preaching permeate his soul? Could Jesus who raised a man from the dead not have been powerful enough to cure Judas of his greed and materialism? If Judas had a second chance, what do you think he would have done differently? Let your answer become your very life.
Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, heal me from all forms of self-deception. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Monday of the Holy Week. Bible Study: Isaiah 42:1-7, Psalm 27 and John 12:1-11).
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