Meditation

Reader,

Next week's writing schedule is quite heavy as we go non stop for eight days from Palm Sunday to Resurrection Sunday.

So, we'll end this week with a light writing load but a heavy spiritual one.

The price of the betrayal, 30 pieces of silver, is notable in Scripture for being the price of a slave or four months wages for the average worker.

In the Old Testament, this was the penalty paid by the owner of an Ox if it gored a slave to death;

“If the bull gores a male or female slave, the owner must pay thirty shekels of silver…” Exodus 21:32

Likewise, Judas’ 30 pieces of silver refers back to Zechariah 11:12–13, where the prophet is paid 30 pieces of silver—called a “handsome price” sarcastically—for his service as a shepherd of Israel.

God tells him to throw it to the potter, which Matthew echoes when Judas, in regret, throws the silver into the temple, and it’s used to buy a potter’s field (Matthew 27:3–10).

Contrast the value that the Chief Priests place on Jesus' head with Mary's extravagant anointing perfume, which Mark's gospel notes would have cost "more than three hundred denarii"...a year's wages.

Today's text is Matthew 26:14-16.

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

¹⁴ 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.

Encouragement

“[He] made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant…

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name…”

Philippians 2:7–9 (NIV)

Andy

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