Selfish vs Selfless
Bible: Luke 22:47-48, John 13:18-30, John 18:1-11, Matthew 27:1-5
Luke 22:47-48, “While he (Jesus) was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus asked him, ‘Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
Have you ever had a moment in your life where you wonder “how did I get here?” When I was younger I got a pink slip for fighting one of my friends at school. I didn’t have to show it to my parents and so I did everything I could to not let them find out. I dropped it in the street, only for my neighbor to bring it over. I stuffed it as far down into the kitchen garbage as I could, but when I heard my parents yell “Zachary” I knew it was over.
I remember standing in the kitchen with them holding the pink slip. I was caught, red-handed. I found myself asking the question “how did I get there?” Why did my neighbor have to find the slip, why didn’t I find a better hiding place, why did I try and hide it from my parents, why did I get in the fight in the first place? All these little moments, these seemingly small decisions led to a life-changing moment for me.
I feel like we forget sometimes that Judas was one of the disciples, someone who shared and taught others about Jesus. He got to experience the miracles of Jesus first hand, sit at Jesus’ feet and learn, have Jesus wash his feet, and even sat at the table for the Last Supper. But through a number of life decisions, we see Judas eventually get to the point where he exchanges Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. He got caught up in what he could get, in his own gain, he became selfish. In Matthew 27:1-5 we read Judas has a “how did I get here” moment as Jesus is condemned to death. We read Judas is filled with regret and tries to return the money, but at this point, it’s too late. The selfish betrayal has been done.
Throughout this time I’ve gotten to experience so many amazing acts of selflessness. I received delicious cookies, kind notes in the mail, texts, phone calls, and offers to talk whenever I need to. The Church has truly shown me the love of Christ at this time. The selflessness of Christ. And if I can encourage you in anything it’s to continue thinking of others during this time. Continue reaching out, it’s tough to reach out too much in a time where the most exciting thing happening is a show about a “Tiger King”. Let’s think of others during this time and how we can continue to share Christ’s love!
Challenge & Prayer:
The challenge for you today is to do something that inconveniences yourself. To do something selfless for someone else. Ask God who in particular he wants you to reach out too, and praise God for all that He did so we could be in a relationship with Him!
Worship: “Touch the Sky” Hillsong United