He Went His Way

The Bible tells the story of Mary, who anointed the feet of Jesus with expensive, fragrant perfume. But as the scent filled the air, Judas said indignantly, "Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" (John 12:5).

I wonder whether the other disciples looked at him and thought, "Right on, Judas! Why didn’t I think of that? That Judas—he’s always thinking of others. He’s so caring. He’s so benevolent."

No, he was so hypocritical. The reason Judas said that, according to verse 6, was because he was the treasurer and was skimming off the top. Outwardly, Judas appeared to be so religious, so caring, so compassionate. And ironically, the person he was criticizing appeared to be frivolous and wasteful.

But things are not always as they appear, are they? The one who appeared to be the most spiritual was the least so. And the one who appeared to be the least spiritual was, in reality, the most spiritual.

When he was at his most wicked, Judas appeared to be godly. His life could be summed in a phrase found in Luke 22:4: "so he went his way." Judas wasn’t always evil outright; it was a process that took place over a period of time. And in most cases, you will find that sin follows the same pattern. It’s a process. We don’t deliberately choose to end up the way we do.

It might start out with a few little white lies. And then after a while, you can’t remember what is true anymore. It might start with a little flirtation with someone you aren’t married to. It might start out with some area that doesn’t seem to be that bad. But the next thing you know, you’ve fallen headlong into sin.