Pretending

Pretending

Matthew 26:8-9, NLT

The disciples were indignant when they saw this. “What a waste!” they said. 9“It could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.”

John 12:4-6, NLT

But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, 5“That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” 6Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself.

Setting the Scene

According to Matthew’s account, “the disciples were indignant” at Mary’s act, but John names Judas as the disciple who spoke up. The disciples had mixed reactions about what Mary was doing and exclaimed that the perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor. That seems like a good point, especially considering the desperate plight of poor people and that Passover was the time of special giving to the poor (see John 13:27-29). But John points out that Judas didn’t actually care about poor people; instead, his reaction was based on greed. Because Judas served as the disciples’ treasurer, the proceeds for such a sale, if given to the disciples for distribution to the poor, would have been placed in Judas’s care. The book of John notes that Judas “was a thief” who would often help himself to the disciples’ funds.

Undoubtedly, Jesus would have known what Judas was doing—that Judas had a weakness for money and soon would betray him for thirty silver coins—but Jesus never did or said anything about it. When we see what kind of person Judas was, we cannot regard him as a tragic hero for his role in bringing Jesus to the Cross. No, he was a man with base motives who was living a lie.

Getting Personal

When have you been unfairly criticized for not being spiritual enough? How did you feel?

When have you been critical of a fellow believer’s words, actions, or dress? What were your true motives?

When have you pretended to be more spiritual than you are? How should you have acted differently?

In Christian circles, pious phrases and clichés come easily, especially when we want to enhance our spiritual image. We may want to give the impression we are prayer warriors, serious Bible students, protectors of righteous moral standards, or, like the disciples in this story, champions of the disenfranchised and oppressed—while the reality of our lives is quite different. But God knows the real person behind the facade. He knows our thoughts and intentions and isn’t fooled by feigned outrage or spirituality. He wants actions, not words. The disciples talked while Mary worshiped.

Talking to God

Give up any pretense as you come to the Lord in prayer, using the words of Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (NLT).