Read Mark 14:1-11

1It was two days before the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a cunning way to arrest Jesus and kill him. 2″Not during the festival,” they said, “so that there won’t be a riot among the people.” 3While he was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured it on his head. 4But some were expressing indignation to one another: “Why has this perfume been wasted? 5For this perfume might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they began to scold her. 6Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a noble thing for me. 7You always have the poor with you, and you can do what is good for them whenever you want, but you do not always have me. 8She has done what she could; she has anointed my body in advance for burial. 9Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.” 10Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. 11And when they heard this, they were glad and promised to give him money. So he started looking for a good opportunity to betray him.

Reflect

We are all guilty of turning our backs on God. We choose to put things in front of him, we lie, we are easily angered, we are unfaithful, and so much more. Just like Judas, we trade God for the sins in our life.

Judas ate with Jesus. He slept near Him. He saw Him perform miracles. Judas was a close friend of Jesus. But even that friendship did not keep him from betraying his Lord. When Judas was given the choice to be faithful to his friend or betray him, he decided the 30 silver coins were more valuable. Is it possible that Judas forgot who Jesus was? Was Judas not thankful for the teachings of Jesus? Did he not value the time with his close friend?

We are often given the option to betray our values and the things that matter most to us. The option to do what others are doing instead of what we know is right. What do you choose? Do you choose to do what makes you happy in the moment, or do you choose to be thankful and to worship? Responding in worship is the way to not conform, to not give in, and to not sell out. When we keep Jesus in the front of our minds by worshiping Him, it is much harder to turn our backs on Him.

Questions

What sins to you continue to do even though you know they are wrong?

What can you do to repent and turn from those sins?

What is stopping you?

Spend some time with Jesus today, being honest with Him, and ask for His help.