"Judas Bag" - The Selfish Agenda Behind our Heavenly Zeal

Jn 12:3 - 6 (KJV)Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein..

Mary's passion for the Lord drove her to break her alabaster box and pour out her precious spikenard on the Lord. To her the Lord was worth such extravagant expenditure. However the disciples did not see it that way. They considered it a waste. Her action provoked Judas who mobilized the disciples to express their indignation. He argued that the spikenard could have served a better use than being wasted on Christ. He stirred the disciples by making a compassionate case for the poor, who he thought would have been better off to receive the proceeds from the sale of the spikenard oil. The undiscerning apostles bought his argument ignorant of the hidden agenda behind such compassionate stance. However the light of God’s word dissects his darkened heart and expose the motive for his compulsion. He was motivated by greed than compassion.

Jn12:6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

Judas sounded righteous and compassionate yet he was motivated with a devilish agenda. He did not care for the poor but tried to create an opportunity to fill the bag which he was responsible for. His compelling argument was a facade that covered his covetous heart and the undiscerning disciples bought it. How much of such arguments are being propagated in our churches for covetous agendas? What good causes have been concocted in the dish of deception? What compassionate causes have we championed under the disguise of filling our coffers? How many revival meetings have we organized for the monetary benefits than the edification of the audience? We must be discerning because the Judas spirit has sneaked into the heart of many zealous leaders.

If you are dedicated to the contents of the “bag” more than Christ, there is a tendency to sell-out Christ for your selfish ambition. To Judas everything was for a price as long as it will be deposited into his bag.

Judas was the treasurer of the apostolic team and he was in charge of the bag of money. He used his office to serve his greed. He was a thief and stole from the treasury anytime he had the opportunity. Therefore it was to his benefit if the bag was filled. His office served as the vehicle to drive his hidden agenda. The bag represent anything spiritual that we have been entrusted with. Most of such “bags” has now become an instrument to satisfy our covetous ambition. Therefore we use the ministry to organize meetings to fill our pockets. Most of our convocations and conferences has become a business investment rather than a means to edify believers. Therefore every facet of the meeting is set to fleece the flock. We focus on the merchandising of our products than spiritual growth of the people. However we have validated our actions with the zeal of our compassion for the flock that serve to cover our hidden agenda. We increase the frequencies of our church meetings, revivals or conferences not because of its necessity for spiritual growth of the believer but a way to raise more money. This was also the way of the religious leaders at Christ’s era.

Mk 12:38 - 40 (KJV) And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces, And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts: Which devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.

The religious leaders made long prayers not because the extra prayers was necessary for their spiritual breakthrough but it was a pretence to devour the widows houses. Are the frequency of our meetings that necessary? Or is it a way to assure ourselves of more offerings? We exaggerate our testimonies, embellish our spiritual experience and dramatize our preaching to facilitate our greedy agenda. Some even generate fake tears to exaggerate their burden on television to win over the undiscerning to give more . Oh what we do to fill our bags is contemptible. Our Judas heart has corrupted our heavenly zeal. We must repent before the judgment of God is released against us.

Rom 16:18 (KJV) For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple

I was once praying zealously for a numerical increase of my church and the Lord spoke to my heart and asked me a very penetrative question. He asked me whether I truly wanted the members or money? I was really praying for members not because of my zeal to expand the kingdom but I assumed that the more members I had the more tithes and offerings I could receive. The Lord’s question exposed my hidden agenda. I had to confess and asked him to provide financial support for me irrespective of the increase of the flock so that it will not be my motivation. The pressure of my needs exposed made me susceptible to the Judas spirit. I was zealously praying for Church increase but my real motive was for the money. You would not have known this if you had seen the fervency of my prayers that day. We must be sincere in the light of God’s presence and expose any devilish agenda that is clothed with a divine zeal. Will you preach if they don’t pay you? Will you go to areas to preach if your ministry will not be promoted or will not receive a fat honorarium? Christ definitely wants to take of the poor. However we must do this after the Lord has been fully satisfied with our character or motives. Therefore taking care of the poor with an evil agenda has no divine benefit.

Christ definitely wants his ministers to be well taken care of but how this is done must not be contrary to Christ’s character. We cannot charge to preach and call ourselves the minister of the gospel. God will not use devilish means to supply your needs. The true impact of the gospel is not being realized because there are leaders who are infested with the Judas spirit holding the reins of the Church. Let us be discerning and expel every wrong motives from every righteous endeavors.