Judas had Sticky Fingers?

This week I was surprised to read that Judas was not just the disciple that betrayed Jesus, but that he also had some sticky fingers when the offering plate was passed.  The story is pretty amazing and the side note from John about Judas’ thieving habit makes me want to say, ‘Excuse me, can I please have a few more details here?’

The Story (Retold by Me)

Here’s the breakdown from John 12

1. Jesus had just raised Lazarus from the dead.  (Are you kidding?  Did a man dead for 4 days, dressed as a mummy, really walk out of his grave?)
2. Some time had passed and Lazarus no longer smelled like an ‘I’ve been in the grave for 4 days’ kind of guy.  He was up and at ‘em, and he and his sisters were throwing a party for the man who told him to come out of the grave. (Now there’s a dinner party worth having.)
3. Mary, overwhelmed by the fact that there’s an ‘I can raise the dead’ Savior sitting at her table, locates the most expensive Neiman Marcus eau de toilette in the house, pours it over Jesus’ feet, gets down on her hands and knees, and wipes his grimy feet with her glorious hair.
4. Judas interrupts the display of affection and gratitude (which certainly must have had everybody staring) and says, ‘Hey lady.  Save that perfume for the poor people.  You’re wasting it here with this guy who saved your brother’s life. The cost of that perfume could be used to feed thousands of starving children in some remote country far from here.’
5. John chimes in with some commentary and says, ‘Judas wasn’t really interested in helping the poor.  He was interested in helping himself.  As he saw the expensive oil drip onto the floor, he imagined the comforts he could’ve enjoyed with that money in his pocket.’

What Made Judas Do It?

Of course, there are all kinds of theories and interpretations out there as to why Judas betrayed Jesus for a small bag of silver.  We know God had something to do with it.  We know Satan had something to do with it.  But, we also know that Judas had something to do with it.  And maybe John is pointing us to Judas’ doing here.

Perhaps Judas started with just a little bit of greed, just needing a little more for himself.  Perhaps Judas began with just a tinge of jealousy; he was just a little uncomfortable with Jesus getting all that credit and glory and such an offering of expensive perfume.

Before he knew it, the roots of greed and jealousy had so crept in, that the temptation and thought of a betrayal of the Savior of the world wasn’t that big of a deal.

Could I Become a Judas?

When it comes to the big sins like denying Jesus or relinquishing my faith, I’m confident that I’m in no danger. BUT, if you ask me if I struggle with greed and jealousy from time to time, I’d have to admit that I often sit in treacherous waters.

• It’s easy to excuse a little greed here and there.  I don’t take money out of the offering plate when it’s passed.  But, I often find it difficult to put a generous amount of money in there in the first place.
• It’s not a big deal if I steal a bit of glory for myself when it comes to something that’s been done well.

I don’t think I’d ever deny Jesus or turn away from Him, but this passage makes me wonder if the thought ever crossed Judas’ mind either.

Jesus said it well, ‘You cannot serve two masters.’ I need to be mindful that every time I give myself over to a little bit of sin, I’m slowly choosing a different master for my life. May I daily commit these jealousies and greedy desires to Jesus so that I will not be so easily led astray by these seemingly ‘innocent sins.’

Scripture says that Judas was helping himself to the offering plate for the poor?  Does anyone else find this surprising?

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