Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Matthew 26, 14-25
One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot,
went to the chief priests and said,
“What are you willing to give me
if I hand him over to you?”
They paid him thirty pieces of silver,
and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
the disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Where do you want us to prepare
for you to eat the Passover?”
He said,
“Go into the city to a certain man and tell him,
‘The teacher says, “My appointed time draws near;
in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.”‘“
The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered,
and prepared the Passover.
When it was evening,
he reclined at table with the Twelve.
And while they were eating, he said,
“Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”
Deeply distressed at this,
they began to say to him one after another,
“Surely it is not I, Lord?”
He said in reply,
“He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me
is the one who will betray me.
The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him,
but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed.
It would be better for that man if he had never been born.”
Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply,
“Surely it is not I, Rabbi?”
He answered, “You have said so.”
What will you give me?
1. Judas. Judas’s focus on material possessions led him to view even Jesus as just another object. When you begin to value things more than the people in your life—even your own family—you stop truly sharing with them and instead start bargaining with them. Sometimes we treat people as tools for our own gain and then cast them aside. If your happiness depends on what you have or what you can give, you’re missing the real meaning: happiness doesn’t come from possessing, but from being.
2. Betrayal. It’s painful to realize that someone close to you is turning against you. Judas doesn’t recognize Jesus as the Messiah; instead, he puts his own interests first. There have been moments when Jesus was near, but instead of drawing closer, you turned away. How often have we betrayed Jesus? How many times have we pushed Him aside? When He doesn’t fulfil our desires, we abandon Him rather than surrender ourselves to Him.
3. Yourself. When you go through life negotiating every move without considering the well-being of others, you fall into narcissism and forget your responsibilities. We often tend to seek our own advantage at the expense of others while simultaneously playing the victim. Be prudent: learn to accept your position along with the burdens that come with it. Don’t hide behind excuses. Take full responsibility for own your choices and the impact they have on your life.
Remember that something good is on the way!
God bless you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
