TRAITORS SELL THEMSELVES

Today is Wednesday, the fourth day of the Passion Week. We see for today, Judas taking a “decisive” step, and coming out in the open, about his hate for Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The hate for God’s righteous path, made the evil inhabited Judas, to betray his Master, and become the traitor, that he always was – just as we all are – Romans 3:22b-23. For nothing comes out of vacuum.
– “3 Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. 4 So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. 5 And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. 6 So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude.” – Luke 22:3-6
– “14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. 16 So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.” – Matthew 26:14

Even before a traitor betrays the trust of someone, and also the person, he has to sell himself first, to the evil, that has enamoured him. Only when this transaction is completed first, the traitor would sell the other person. Judas the TRAITOR had to SELL HIMSELF first, to the evil, and that is when, the path to sell his Master is cleared.

Judas is merely the face of the traitors, but he is not the only one. In fact there are many more, and from much longer period of time, and with much deeper and intense hate for Jesus, and the ways light. Satan or Lucifer is the chiefest, and the oldest among them all. All of the earthly traitors had to sell themselves to Satan, and make him their lord, and their father, even before they betrayed, and sold someone else.
– “3 Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4 and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him. 5 But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.” – Matthew 26:3
– “1 After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death. 2 But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people.” – Mark 14:1
– “​1 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover. 2 And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people.” – Luke 22:1-2

The chief priests, and the scribes, feared people’s uproar, and not, the God, whom they claimed to worship, ever so zealously. The God whom they claimed to worship, had commanded clearly…
– “13 “You shall not murder…16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.” – Exodus 20:13,16
– “6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.” – Genesis 9:6
– “17 “Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death.” – Leviticus 24:17

Dear brothers and sisters, let us learn the lessons from the lives of Judas and his ilk. They chose to betray their God, their LORD and their Redeemer – some for their egos, some for some similar, but all for pure evil reasons. We see many even today in our Churches. For them, God is a means and a tool, to achieve what they wish to achieve in their lives. The minute God demands certain things, that come in conflict with their own pitiful and pride filled egos, they would not hesitate to become the traitors, and betray the LORD. The question for us is, “What about us?”