“What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?”
Matthew 26:15
Matthew 26:15 is Judas’ words to the chief priest who were out to silence Jesus. I read this verse and with our current events I couldn’t help but see the application today.
In this same chapter of Matthew we also are told of a woman who walks into the room with an alabaster jar of perfume and pours it out upon the hair and feet of Jesus.
This jar of perfume is believed to have been worth 300 denarius… a denarius was on the average a one day’s wage, so this perfume would have been almost an entire year’s pay for this woman.
Here we are given a stark contrast between this woman and a man named Judas… the measuring line being the worth they place on Christ. This woman came humbly and gave Him her very best. She poured out quite possibly her life’s savings onto the feet of this man who was like no man she had ever known. In this act she showed that there was nothing in this world worth more to her than Him.
Many today would respond as the disciples…
“But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, “Why this waste? For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.” (Matthew 26:8-9)
I suppose this was not very morally responsible of this woman now was it? She could have fed hundreds on that perfume, yet she just poured it out on someone’s head and dirty feet. Oh the waste!
No what she did might not have been morally responsible, but it was indeed theologically correct…
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Psalm 23:5
Now on the other hand… we have Judas.
Now he was indeed morally responsible. After all the morality police of the day had determined that this Jesus was causing an uproar in the community. I mean He was breaking their Sabbath and causing people to question their teachings… This Jesus might be theologically correct but He simply was not being morally responsible… I mean look who He associated with.
So Judas, feeling morally responsible, asks… what will you give me to betray Him?
Jesus said of the woman, “Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.” (Matthew 26:13)
For this woman the worth of Christ outweighed any moral responsibility of her current culture. Had she given this perfume to the poor she would have been celebrated and given her own holiday… people would have waved to her and thanked her for her great generosity… but instead she walked in and through knowing tears she poured it out on One.
Though she was mocked, though others snarled their nose at her, though some gawked at her audacity to even enter the room… she came and poured out her best for Him.
I wonder if she was sitting outside the door as He spoke to the disciples… I wonder if she heard Jesus speak of His death… of what was to come… and instead of being like the disciples with their hands over their ears claiming that would never happen… she walked in knowing that if Jesus said it, it was as good as done.
She made her choice based on the word of God… not moral responsibility.
Moral responsibility sways with the culture… you see moral responsibility led good Germans to turn in even family members hiding those nasty Jews. Moral responsibility euthanizes the elderly and terminally ill and aborts babies with deformities because they are better off that way.
You see if your morality is not based on correct theology its ability to discern right and wrong and decide worth is askew.
For the woman with the alabaster box… Jesus was worth more than 300 denarius equivalent to over 100 shekels.
For Judas… Jesus was worth 30 shekels… not even one third of the cost of the woman’s perfume.
For the woman their was no price too high to pay for the opportunity to honor her Lord…
For Judas the price offered him was enough to betray Him… and after all it was the morally responsible thing to do.
So I ask you, what has been offered you to turn your back on Christ?
Is there anything in your life right now that you have exchanged for Christ?
What worth have you placed on Him?
What has He cost you?
What price are you willing to pay?