Mark 14:1-11 KJV
1 After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.
2 But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people.
3 And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.
4 And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?
5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.
6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.
7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.
8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.
9 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.
10 And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them.
11 And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him.

One bottle of ointment that anoints Christ feet is all it took for Judas to remain angry at Jesus enough to betray Jesus to the chief priests. What does it take for you to betray a friend, a family member or a stranger? Who will you protect in your life time and care nothing of what someone did or did not do. What was going through Judas mind as he went to betray Jesus. I wonder if the words of his death and his burying haunt Judas at the meaning of it. What had Judas seen that not been told in scripture that might of allured him to betray Jesus, was the embarrassment of being told that a good work had been done for him by the anointment and being singled out enough to cause Judas to go and betray Jesus as far as turning him over to the religious counsel of chief priest? Maybe in reality the words they were searching for Jesus because of the murder in the temple enough. There no talk of murder only the insurrection of Barabbas in scripture surrounding the cross. Scholars on research believe that Barabbas was the chief priest son. Chief priest were the ones Judas would betray Jesus too. They of course would send soldiers with Judas to have him arrested, for those that know not the story. Yet we not there yet.

Right now we at the point of where Judas as decided he was going to betray Jesus. And he was not at a place of forgiveness or seeking out Jesus to discuss what happened only welling to turn him over to the religious leaders in the temple. He did not seek Roman law yet, why because Jewish Temple still had some authority when it came to local crimes and such. They were not sovereign in power but they had authority to handle small cases and such. I churches today only power they own is like a business, that can bring someone to a board or take legal action against someone. Most churches seldom go to court over something minor but it does not mean they will not.

Today's lesson is more of a Bible insight or short study or thought on an issue and not a pick me that shouts be faithful joyful, love, and so forth in one's daily life. It does not even shout don't be angry about little embarrassments in life. In fact scripture it talks about reaction and decision of a man that had followed Jesus for three whole years, that hears that chief priest are searching for him and when they might take Jesus when he not in a crowd of people. When it be the easiest to arrest him. The whole picture is not clear until Barrabbas is released instead of Jesus as to what truly happening here, but Jesus is railroaded for leading the insurrection but not killing a man or even stealing as Barabbas was also considered a thief. We get the picture of search for away to arrest Jesus by the chief priest in scripture. We get the picture of one embrassment moment that Judas did not shake off over a bottle anointing oil that was poured/wasted as he claimed on Jesus' feet. It is not a happy feel good devotion. It is not meant to be.

To really sink teeth in scripture you have to look at all sides of a situation and the fact not all situations change to the happy good feeling, it is real life in regards to what pushes someone to the edge of responding to the situation. What causes someone to stand up and say enough is enough in their personal life and only life to not only regret their actions later. Those that know the story of Judas knows that he will eventually hang himself for his betrayal, but we also know Judas would seek forgiveness of the high priest and attempt to return the money he gained for his action and could not even give it back, though the priest did use it to buy a graveyard(Potter's field), where they buried Judas. Judas would not seek the one he needed for forgiveness which was God. He went the wrong place to seek forgiveness, and could not find forgiveness for his actions. HE was so ashamed he did more harm then good by the end of his story. If he only had received the word resurrection in his heart and not just heard it, he would of known he might be able to talk to Jesus if he rose from the grave.

Every now and then you hear stories of suicide, and most of the problems a person had could be solved or faced the consequences of what was occuring in their life even if it been embarassing or humiliating. To deal with life problems that are not so good, one has to accept their own imperfection and consequences for action even when our actions hurts other people. Judas did not see that Jesus would of been arrested without his help, but he was chosen man for this purpose. Not a chosen man to necessarily die by his own hand.

The consequences for our actions in regards to humiliation, might cause us much grief and even causing a road of being even shunned in society, or cast out in the form of prisonment, living on the street, or even being put into a situation we had not considered or desired. However facing our mistakes, repenting to God of those mistakes, and knowing that we might have to endure for a time the cost of the mistake is better then consequences of death of our own hand.

The worse case scenerio is Judas would of had to leave and go to another land, in that day and time, many traveled and went places with less money then people carry on them even now. King David when God nailed him for coveting another man's wife and taking her to sleep with him, the event would be broadcasted nation wide and not only was it humiliating for King David but he had taken one of his own men wives that was fighting in battle and also had the soldier killed. It became public knowledge. David could of killed himself or turn his palace over to his son, but instead he repented to God, faced the humiliation as a leader and king before his nation and stood firm in God's forgiveness. Judas never sought God's forgiveness, he did not pray to God but sought the religious counsel for it.

Judas was use to bringing of the sacrifices to the altar and going to the priest, but not going to God himself. He was still learning about faith, still not preceiving the ability to repent to God himself. Instead of dealing with the problem he chose death. There are people that can not deal with life or face the hand life seems to have dealt them, but in all truth we do make our own situations at times. The hope here is to keep living there is a better tomorrow.

In the days ahead we hear more about Judas in his betrayal, and see more scripture concerning his account of his story. It is important story, because what it teaches is man can not find forgiveness anywhere but through God and God's son himself. It important because Judas action were public to other eleven disciples. Judas' action would of caused him to feel outcasted. At anytime was Judas betrayal because he cared about himself and others, the picture never shows that. It only shows Judas greed of money. King David betrayal was because of his lust of his eye and his actions. Jesus actions cost him the world. Yet he would forgive the world for their actions against him. The crowd was making Jesus king, but the crowd was also recognizing who Jesus was in their personal life. Jesus did not have to exalt himself, the crowd was already crying out who he was. He did not have to defend God's house because his body was the temple of the Holy Spirit just like our bodies houses God's Spirit who communes with our spirit when we get saved. Which house was greater the one built with human hands or the one whose maker was God. There is no sin to great God can not forgive but unbelief. There is no sin to great that God will not forgive but unbelief. Judas was like the people in the wilderness ever seeing and seeking Moses but not seeking God until finally they got it. Judas never got it. Do you get it. One needs to repent to God first and foremost. God is a forgiving God when no one else will forgive.

Dear Heavenly Father, prepare our hearts as we search scriptures to find the hope going toward your Son's own cross in our world. Help us to continue seeing Jesus as Lord. Not only as Lord, but a forgiver of sin. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Acts 26:18 KJV
18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.