Will you be like Judas and serve Christ with a kiss of betrayal?
Do you come and “kiss the ring” on Sunday morning, serving God, worshiping with the people of God, nodding at the finer points of the Pastor’s sermon and then live like a heathen the rest of the week? Isn’t that exactly what Judas did? Didn’t he walk daily with Jesus, watch the miracles, hang with the disciples and do the “spiritual” things like saying the previous oil in the alabaster box should be sold to generate money for the poor, and then didn’t he sell Jesus out to his enemies for 30 pieces of silver? Is that you? Pious with the church folks and down and dirty with the unsaved, passing off your church attendance as mere amusement, something you do for your parents, kids or spouse? Be careful you don’t live like Judas, by the kiss.
Will you be like Peter and seek to serve the LORD by the flesh and the sword?
Maybe you are more like Peter. God speaks to you and shows you His truth, but rather than wait on the LORD, you rush ahead in your flesh and cut off the ears of those who don’t yet know God. Maybe you rely on your own wisdom to argue with the unsaved, driving them farther from Jesus. Maybe when God draws you into the company of Godly men or women, all you can speak of is building a tent for them, forgetting about the close presence of God in your zeal to show partiality to men. Be careful you don’t seek to serve Jesus by the flesh and the sword. It will only leave you and those around you wounded.
Or will you be like Jesus, who when called to serve God, obeyed drinking the cup
The cup that Jesus drank from was no simple thing. Three times He begged God to take it from Him always asking for God’s will first. Will you be like Jesus? Will you seek first God’s plan, God’s way, God’s purpose and despite the pain, discomfort or sheer terror you feel in the face of it, will you, like Jesus, drink the cup God offers you? Will you be like Jesus, obedient to death, a death on the cross? A death of torture and humiliation? Will you then, in the midst of your torture and humiliation, count those for whom you suffer “joy”? Serve God by drinking the cup. Serve God by obeying Him with every fiber of your being, even your last breath.
