Known to many of us: the story of Judas, the betrayal of Judas.
For a long time, Judas was a faithful follower of Jesus. He may have been critical of the expenditures of Jesus’ ministry at times, but he still loved Jesus and followed Him.
Yet, slowly but surely, that began to change. At first subtly, but nonetheless simultaneously very dangerous.
Quietly, a shift begins to take place in Judas’ heart. Until the moment he makes a decision, a decision that changes everything. Judas, one of the twelve disciples, goes to the high priests and offers to hand Jesus over. It is a dark move, well thought out and not impulsive. He asks a simple question that reveals everything about his state of heart: “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” (Matthew 26:15).
“Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver.” - Matthew 26:14-15
Judas was no outsider. He was not far from Jesus and not unfamiliar with who He was. He had walked with Him, listened to Him, seen miracles happen before his eyes, and lived close to the truth day after day!
The story of Judas shows that being in His presence is not the same as being devoted to Him. Being near something does not mean surrendering to it.
Somewhere along the way, Judas’s heart began to shift. This did not happen overnight, but gradually. What he once valued in Jesus began to fade into the background, and something else began to take its place in Judas’s heart: greed, covetousness, and perhaps even anger or frustration.
This is how straying arises
It rarely announces itself. It does not appear as a sudden rejection or a clear turning point. It builds up slowly, through small compromises and divided attention. You begin to hold on a little more tightly than you should.
You start (consciously or unconsciously) weighing what following Jesus costs instead of what it gives, and perhaps not even consciously. And eventually, without realizing it at first, your loyalty begins to shift and your heart’s disposition changes.
By the time Judas stands before the high priests, the decision has already been made deep within him, and the enemy has already knocked Jesus off the throne of his heart to take his place there. The thirty pieces of silver were merely the final step, not the starting point. The starting point had passed long ago.
That is what makes this moment so sobering and recognizable to us today as well. It is possible to be (or want to be) close to Jesus, yet at the same time be far removed from Him. You can know the Word, understand the Truth, and be constantly surrounded by it, while your heart quietly attaches itself to something else. And when that happens, it is only a matter of time before your decisions and your life begin to bear fruit.
Search me
Pausing and sincerely looking at who or what truly sits on the throne of your heart is something we should do regularly. Just as David also asked God to search his heart (Psalm 139:23-24).
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” - Psalm 139:23-24
What do you value? What do you hold on to? What are you slowly allowing to take priority over your relationship with Him? It may seem innocent, but nothing should take place above Him in your heart. Is it social media taking up more space and time in your life, sports, your work, alcohol, or perhaps another person; your husband, your wife?
The question Judas asked still exists today, even though it is not spoken aloud: “What is this worth to me?” And even more importantly: “What am I willing to trade for it?”
Opposition comes not only from the outside, but also from within, in our heart, in our mind; that is where the real danger begins.
I want to challenge you; invite God in and examine your heart; Who or what reigns in my heart? Who or what sits on the throne of my heart? Am I willing to give this up so that Jesus can take this place?
Are you walking proudly with Him? Show the world that He changed your life, or playfully remind them that “y’all need Jesus” – grab your favorite cap now in the webshop!
