From Matthew 26:14-16 / Valuing Jesus

“Then”, is a sometimes a very important word. And in this case, monumentally important.

What is it that seems to finally push Judas Iscariot over the edge? What so offended his personal sensibilities that he was ready to kick Jesus to the curb?

John gives us the needed insight.

He thought the money Mary had just “wasted” on anointing Jesus was too much. And, if it had been sold and put into the Disciple’s coffer instead, he could have gotten his cut; by theft. 30 pieces of silver would have been a little over 3 month’s wages. Only 1/3 of what Mary’s perfume probably cost. No one would miss it given their habit of giving to the poor. And it didn’t seem like anyone kept track of how Judas administrated the purse.

Judas just wanted his due – and not for everything to be about and expended upon Christ. He had a bad case of “hireling syndrome.”

You know the tinge of this yourself don’t you? I know I do. I’ll serve Christ and His people, but good golly, I want my share of the praise and recognition. After all, it isn’t ALL about Jesus, is it? Don’t I deserve my pat on the back? The occasional “well done” by others, before the one I’m to receive on the last day? I mean, I’m not just a servant you know, not a slave. I deserve my cut too. I know Jesus is God and all, and He’s deserving of His glory – but not ALL the glory -right?

This is a particularly dangerous temptation for those of us who preach and teach.

None of this is to ignore the fact that as those ministered to by others, we ought to give them proper recognition. Paul writes to Timothy “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”’”

But there is a vast difference between our recognition of others, and our “need” to be somehow recognized by others.

By the time we get to this point in the Gospels, Jesus had already said this to His Disciples: ““Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’ ” (Luke 17:7-10)

Judas wasn’t having it. Not all the way.

Now is all this to somehow suppress or devalue Christ’s servants? Not in the least! We know His value and regard for us as we gaze upon the Cross. He has set a value upon us that is not intrinsic, due to us, but due to His simple, sovereign love.

It is a marvel to contemplate.

But oh how sin has reversed the tables, and somehow caused us to set some certain value upon Him, based on our personal sensitivities, upon our fallen, self-focused self-love. And can any value we place upon Him be quantified in any way? Obviously not.

Mary had said in effect – “nothing is too good or too much to lavish upon Him.”

Judas had said in effect – “He is wonderful, but only – this much – if it costs me in the process.”

So we ask ourselves – how do we value Jesus? What is our cutoff point, where we’re not getting our fair share?

As I’ve oft quoted before from old John Flavel: “It is a special consideration to enhance the love of God in giving Christ, that in giving him he gave the richest jewel in his cabinet; a mercy of the greatest worth, and most inestimable value, Heaven itself is not so valuable and precious as Christ is: He is the better half of heaven; and so the saints account him, Psal. 73:25. “Whom have I in heaven but thee?” Ten thousand thousand worlds, saith one,* as many worlds as angels can number, and then as a new world of angels can multiply, would not all be the bulk of a balance, to weigh Christ’s excellency, love, and sweetness. O what a fair One! what an only One! what an excellent, lovely, ravishing One, is Christ! Put the beauty of ten thousand paradises, like the garden of Eden, into one; put all trees, all flowers, all smells, all colours, all tastes, all joys, all sweetness, all loveliness in one; O what a fair and excellent thing would that be? And yet it should be less to that fair and dearest well-beloved Christ, than one drop of rain to the whole seas, rivers, lakes, and fountains of ten thousand earths. Christ is heaven’s wonder, and earth’s wonder.

Now, for God to bestow the mercy of mercies, the most precious thing in heaven or earth, upon poor sinners; and, as great, as lovely, as excellent as his Son was, yet not to account him too good to bestow upon us, what manner of love is this!¹

¹ Flavel, John. 1820. The Whole Works of the Reverend John Flavel. Vol. 1. London; Edinburgh; Dublin: W. Baynes and Son; Waugh and Innes; M. Keene.