This is the story of a disciple of Jesus.
Judas
A grateful woman came to Jesus and announced His feet with costly oil. Judas, however, got offended because he believed the oil or what it was worth could be used for better things.
And what was that? To sell it and use the money to cater for the poor.
While that is or was a noble cause, we can all agree that his priorities were grossly misplaced. Jesus was very quick to point that out.
Evidently, he couldn’t care less about the poor but was speaking out of his own greed. And even if it were to be that he genuinely cared about the poor, he would still be wrong because it meant that he didn’t esteem Jesus high enough to invest such an expensive gift.
While believing he was fighting for the master’s cause, he failed to recognize Christ Jesus’s majesty.
The Christ of his time is the same as our time, and now we ought to ask ourselves, ‘Are we really treating Christ better than Judas did?
While for Judas, it might be that box of ointment, for us, it is anything we find ourselves valuing above Christ.
- Our time
- Our resources
- Our attention
We can give our time for our work because it’s productive or for movies and other entertainment. After all, they make us feel good, but we are in a hurry to leave the presence of God, and our devotion, if any, lasts 30mins or less.
Some say we need the business and work because it helps us pay our tithe.
We can give our attention to our friends and lovers because we enjoy their company while Jesus earnestly knocks at the door of our hearts; we ignore his pleas.
When it comes to investing in the things of God, we shy away because there aren’t any accolades attached to it, but we eagerly dive into what will give us recognition among fellow men.
It’s time to retrospect, and as we do, we will find many ways we are similar to Judas in the way we treat Jesus. And if we find such, let us gravely repent and turn to God and give Him what is sure to Him—that way, we will be blessed beyond our imaginations.
