As Jesus' disciple, Judas had the greatest opportunity to learn from and grow in the wisdom and love of God. He witnessed first hand how Jesus gave sight to the blind, hope to the hopeless, and taught deep truths of the kingdom of heaven. Yet, what caught his heart was the love of money. In the end, he realized the consequences of putting profit over people and how spiritually bankrupt he had become from it.

The religious and political leaders may well have been worst off. They used their own power and schemes to accuse, try, and finally sentence Jesus to death by crucifixion. They knowingly subverted the systems of law and order to humiliate, torture, and kill Jesus, the Messiah and son of God.

In remaining silent, Jesus revealed the extent of the corruption and evil that pervaded the religious and political leaders of the times; that which crushed the weak and vulnerable, and subdued the voice of the prophets.


Application: Lord, forgive me of my greed and self preservation at the cost of others. May I choose Jesus over profit and power.
One Word: Don't be wicked.