马太福音26:14-16：警惕你的心慢慢刚硬
14当下，十二门徒里有一个称为加略人犹大的，去见祭司长，说：15“我把他交给你们，你们愿意给我多少钱？”他们就给了他三十块钱。16从那时候，他就找机会要把耶稣交给他们。
我猜想犹大因为耶稣对这个女人的评论而感到被冒犯，她用香膏涂抹了他（见马太福音26：6-13）。犹大认为这真是浪费钱财。犹大一直是这样吗？他跟从耶稣就是为了名声和财富？还是那种坏想法一点点占据了他的心？我倾向于后者。他时不时地从门徒的账目里偷一点。也许第一次这样做他还感到些许不安，但终究还是在内心为自己找到借口。但是为了三十块钱，相当于3000美金，出卖耶稣？我们看得出他的心已经变得多么刚硬。
这段记载对我们每个人都是一个警告。撒旦会一点点占据我们的心。他诱惑我们违背良心做事，一而再，再而三。过了一段时间，我们就不再为我们的罪悔改了。要记住撒旦总是在你生活里发生的事情中铺设陷阱，好让你跌落其中，让你心里不再相信，最终让绝望进入你的心里。
耶稣知道发生什么事情了吗？是的，他当然知道。在周四最后的晚餐上他说的话清楚地显明了这点。他每天都呼召犹大悔改，就如同他每天呼召我们悔改一样。求上帝不要使我们的心刚硬。
祷告：主耶稣，我知道我不是撒旦的对手，但我更知道撒旦不是你的对手。我祈求每一天我能靠着信心生活。请在我的心田每天都种下忧伤懊悔，这样每一天我内心深处的“老亚当”会被淹没，而“新我”会浮现出来，并和你一同生活在公义和圣洁中。祷告奉你的名求，阿们！
Matthew 26:14-16: Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests 15 and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver.16 From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
I can imagine that Judas was offended by Jesus’ remarks to the woman who had anointed him with perfume. What a waste of money. Was it always that way with Judas? Did he follow Jesus only for fame and fortune? Or did it sneak up on him a little by little? I tend to think that it was the latter. He stole a little from the disciples account here and then. It probably bothered him the first time. In the end he was justifying it in his own mind. But betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, the equivalent of about $3,000? It shows us how hard his heart had become.
There is such a warning in this account for everyone of us! Satan sneaks up on us. He tempts us to act against conscience, and then again, and again. After a while we are no longer repenting of our sin. Remember that he is always setting you up for the big fall, the event in your life when faith has left your heart and despair enters it.
Did Jesus know what was happening? Of course, he did. His words during the supper on Thursday show it to be so. He was calling Judas to repentance every day, just as he call us to repentance every day. Pray that we do not harden our hearts!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I know that I am no match for Satan. But I also know that Satan is no match for you. I pray that I will live by faith every day. Work in my heart daily sorrow and repentance so that the old Adam in my drowns and the new man arises to live with you in righteousness and purity. I ask this in your name. Amen.