You Cannot Serve Two Masters

In the same room where Mary poured out her treasure at Jesus's feet, Judas calculated how much money was wasted. What a contrast in lives.

Scripture Focus: John 12:4-6; Matthew 6:24

"But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said, 'Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?' Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it."

What Jesus does, what He says, who He is, produces Mary's and Martha's, but also Judas's.

And it sounds like what Judas is saying is good on the surface. "Why wasn't this given to the poor?" But Judas doesn't love Jesus. Judas loves money.

It's scary. You can be right next to Jesus and not know Him. You can be perceived as influential, but have no intimacy with Jesus.

Think about it—there were presumably dozens of people every single week coming up to Judas saying, "How did you get to be one of the twelve?" And he would say, "It's an honor. I'm unworthy. I'm just thankful to be a part of His cohort. I'm just a servant here."

Until the very end, no one suspected Judas. He was responsible for the treasury, which means he was the most trusted. When we pick deacons, who do we pick? Trusted people. Judas was the guy amongst the twelve everyone went to.

And yet he despised the Lord Jesus and he loved money.

We read from the other gospel accounts that it is actually the frustration over this event—Mary's "waste"—that Judas then goes to the high priests and says, "I'll betray Him for one-third of the amount that this ointment was worth." Thirty pieces of silver.

Jesus says of Mary, "Remember this life. Her sacrifice, devotion, affection, humility. Write it in stone."

And He says of Judas, "It would have been better if this guy was never born."

Judas should have listened to 1 Timothy 6:9-10: "Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils."

Jesus said it plainly in Matthew 6:24: "You cannot serve two masters. You cannot love God and money."

The question for you this morning: What do you love? Really love? Is it Jesus? Or is it something else—money, comfort, reputation, security, status?

Because you can't have both.

Stay dialed in