What's Your Price?

¹⁴ Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests ¹⁵ and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶ From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

Matthew 26:14-16 

When we accept a job, one of the factors that is foremost in the decision is the salary.  We want to know that our wages will be worth our time and effort.  And for the right price, we will do just about anything.  Remember the commercial "What would YOU do for a Klondike Bar?"

Judas Iscariot was the treasurer for the Disciples.  He was the one who kept track of the funds given to them and their expenditures.  If they needed food, Judas was the one who paid the bill....I often wondered why they didn't let Matthew, who was a tax collector, keep the money....but that's just another of my wonderings.

Not sure when Judas decided to sell Jesus out, possibly he was mad a Jesus about the whole expensive perfume issue or maybe he had taken all the money himself and he was afraid he would have to give an accounting to the Disciples for his embezzlement.  But Judas approached the Chief Priests, who had been looking for a reason to get rid of Jesus, and offered his services.  He asked, rather bluntly, "How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?"  

It's bad enough that a member of Jesus' Disciples decided to sell Him out, but then to be bold enough to seek out the Chief Priests and as them how much Jesus' life was worth to them?  Guess how much they offered?  Thirty Pieces of Silver!  Why that specific amount?  Well, according to the Law, thirty pieces of silver was the price of a slave.  Judas sold Jesus for the cost of a slave!  Judas readily accepted the funds and then began looking for the right time to earn the money.   

Let me ask you (and me), what's your price?  If someone stuck a gun to your head and told you to deny Christ or die....which would you do?  We may bravely say we would be strong, but that's all talk.    When the bank account is empty and there's no food, what's your price?  When you lose your job, what's your price?  When your spouse decides the marriage is over, what's your price? 

When the chips are down, what's your price?