«And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side. Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, ‘Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go’ » (Matthew 8:18, 19).
WHO WAS THE SCRIBE who promised to follow Jesus wherever the Lord went, as today’s verse mentions? According to The Desire of Ages, it was Judas.-ch. 30, p. 293.
Did Judas believe Jesus was the promised Messiah? Certainly. «Judas believed Jesus to be the Messiah; and by joining the apostles, he hoped to secure a high position in the new kingdom. «—Ibid. Not only did he believe Jesus was the Messiah, but he also «had some precious traits of character that might have been made a blessing to the church. «—Ibid., p. 295. But Judas had a serious problem: his love of money.
Two powers were competing in his heart: his rising attraction to Jesus and his love of money. The Lord knew that and, in order to give him all the help he needed in his battle against evil, He placed him in close contact with Himself: «If he would open his heart to Christ, divine grace would banish the demon of selfishness, and even Judas might become a subject of the kingdom of God. «—Ibid., p. 265.
In other words, Judas had everything in his favor, nevertheless, he was lost forever. Why? The following story, told by William L. Barclay, helps us understand what took place in his heart. Barclay says the one day he entered a store in an Asian city to shop. While he was haggling the prices, he saw a niche on the wall with a finely sculpted figure. Then he asked the store owner how much it cost.
«It is not for sale,» the man replied emphatically. My family has worshiped that image for generations and I will pass it on to my eldest son when I die.
In spite of the negative answer, Barclay did not give up. He insisted again and again, increasing his offer every time. Finally, after much insisting, the man was not able to resist temptation and ended up selling the family «god!» Barclay says that he still has that image, not as an object of worship, of course, but as a reminder of those who are willing to sell their gods for a price.
Wasn’t that what also happened with Judas? Greed became «the ruling motive of his life» and in the end «The love of mammon overbalanced his love for Christ.» —The Desire of Ages, ch. 76, p. 716.
Oh, Judas! And to think that you had «some precious traits of character!»
Dear Jesus, sit at the throne of my heart, so that my love for You will not be one among many, but rather the ruling motive of my life.