Gospels – Moment to Moment (Bible blog)

As I look at this passage, for some reason, Judas sticks out to me.

Jesus called his 12 disciples to go out and minister to the people of Israel. Look at what he did. He gave them the authority to drive out demons, he gave them the ability to cure diseases, and he sent them out preaching the kingdom of God.

And as Matthew lists all the disciples, he notes last of all, “Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.” (Matthew 12:4)

Judas drove out demons. Judas healed sick people. Judas went out and preached the kingdom of God. And yet, he would later betray Jesus.

How could that happen? It’s hard to fathom. But I think he is the perfect example of the tare in the wheatfield that Jesus talked about in Matthew 13.

The thing about tares is that they look very similar to wheat. So if a farmer were to try to pull out the tares from the wheat, many times he would end up pulling out the wheat by accident.

That’s why the farmer in the story said to leave them until harvest time, and at that time, he would separate the wheat from the tares.

Judas, like the tare, looked like a believer. He learned with the other disciples. He cast out demons like the others. He healed the sick like the other disciples. And he preached the kingdom like the others. But in his heart, he never truly gave his life to Jesus.

My guess is that he looked only for what a relationship with Jesus could give him. And when he saw that Jesus’ vision was different from his own, and that he would not get from Jesus what he sought, he turned on him and betrayed him.

Many people are like that today. They look like Christians. They sound like Christians. They may even be involved in ministry. But they’ve never truly given their hearts to Jesus.

How about you? Have you given your life to Jesus? Is your life truly his? Or are you like Judas, simply the tare in the wheatfield.

Don’t pretend. You can fool others, your pastor and the people at church. But you can’t fool God. And the day will come when you will be seen for what you really are.

Don’t be that tare. Truly give your life to him. To merely play the Christian will only leave you empty, and result in judgment and death.

Self-centeredness, pride, and complacency

This passage reminds me of the parable that Jesus told in Luke 12:13–21.

In the story, a man had a rich crop, and he soon realized that there was no place for him to store all the food.

So what did he do? Did he reach out to the poor and needy in the area? Was he thankful for God’s blessings, and wondering how he could use those blessings to touch others’ lives?

No. Rather, all he could think of was himself. He said,

I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and goods.

And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”

But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”

This is how it will be with anyone who stores things up for himself, but is not rich toward God. (Luke 12:18–21)

Jesus could very well have been talking about the Israelites of Amos’ time.

The rich of the land were feeling complacent, secure in their wealth, and proud of all they had, not even considering the poor, nor the evil and corruption that was in the land.

And so God told them,

Therefore, you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end. (Amos 6:7)

How about you? Are you proud of what you’ve accomplished? Of all that you have? Do you think to yourself, “I’ve got it made?”

Be careful that you don’t become like the rich man in Jesus’ story or the Israelites.

Don’t focus merely on yourself, but on God, and the people around you. God has blessed you for a reason. And it’s not simply to indulge yourself and your lusts.

He’s blessed you that you might be a blessing. And to make a difference.

Whether you’re rich or not, powerful or not, God hates self-centeredness, pride, and complacency.

He calls us to stop looking at ourselves and to look at the world around us, and to be God’s hands, feet, eyes, and mouth to them.

Lord, it’s so easy to just focus on myself. Forgive me.

Lord, what resources you’ve given me are really yours, not mine. Help me to remember that.

Help me to focus not on myself, but on you, and the people around me. Let me not live for myself, but for your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, amen.