“From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.” Matthew 26:16 (NLT)
I waited in the long checkout line, impatiently tapping my shopping cart, which was overflowing with school supplies. I wasn’t in the mood to chat, but the gal behind me peppered me with questions, so I explained how our church organized a school-supplies drive each year. She gushed with admiration of this ministry, and I politely agreed. But conviction gripped me moments later.
This was a great ministry, but my attitude about it wasn’t great! I’d allowed the overwhelm of the busy back-to-school season to harden my heart. Outwardly, I complied — yet inwardly, my spirit grumbled.
Right there in the parking lot, I confessed to the Lord the sorry state of my soul and prayed for a renewed heart.
This experience reminded me how easily we can fall into doing the right thing with the wrong spirit. And we’re not the only ones — we see this in Scripture too. Judas, the apostle infamous for betraying Jesus, spent years walking and talking with Him up close and personal. He was there when Jesus performed miracles and changed lives. He was there when Jesus taught crowds and called out religious leaders. Judas walked the walk, building God’s Kingdom alongside Peter, John and the other disciples. But as today’s key verse details, his heart reached a fateful turning point:
“From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus” (Matthew 26:16).
We shudder at this scripture and wonder how he could do that! But a closer look at Judas’ life reveals a sobering truth: Physical proximity to Jesus wasn’t enough. We can even build His Kingdom outwardly, but inwardly we are tempted to build our own. It’s the proximity of our hearts to Jesus that determines whether we give in to this temptation.
Interestingly, Judas’ decision to betray Jesus came on the heels of the poignant occasion when a woman anointed Jesus with expensive perfume (Matthew 26:6-13). Jesus said this moment would be remembered forever, but Judas resented her charity and grumbled against it. He witnessed a lavish display of generosity firsthand — yet his heart was hard.
Similarly, we can keep our lives busy with church activities, Bible studies and service projects, but if our heartsdon’t align with the gospel mission, we’re setting ourselves up to fail. Like Judas, we can only fake it for so long.
As Easter approaches, let’s take a moment to conduct a heart-check and ask ourselves a couple of questions to stay on track:
- Is my heart more aligned with Jesus’ mission or my own?
- Does my heart prioritize the same causes that Jesus does?
Dear one, asking God to show us our hearts isn’t easy. But perhaps that’s just what we need to continue walking faithfully with Jesus!
Jesus, forgive us for outwardly serving You yet inwardly desiring our way. Help us align our hearts with You and walk with integrity and authenticity. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
**Note: this devotional first appeared on Proverbs 31 Ministries
