Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priest and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. (Matthew 26:14-15 NLT)

The Bible says. “For the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil (1 Timothy 6:10 NLT). We always follow what is first in our lives, be it money or Christ.

Context is critical in understanding the Scriptures.  Directly before Judas’s betrayal is the story of the woman who brought the expensive alabaster flask to anoint the feet of Jesus.  In John 12:2-6, the Bible records that Judas objects to Mary wasting the precious ointment, not because he cared for the poor, but because he stole from the disciples’ funds. It appears he determined that he could gain more wealth by betraying Jesus than serving him. You always follow your heart, be it for evil or good.

You cannot serve two masters; you will hate the one and love the other, or vice-versa (Matthew 6:19-24). Judas chose who he would serve.  Paul warned us that we should not imagine that godliness is a means of financial gain (1 Timothy 6:5).  Conversely, it is not about being rich or poor. As the commentator, Matthew Henry, once said, “It is not the lack of money but the love of money that is the root of all evil.”

How much money is enough?  Just a little more than what we have.  The problem is, a little more is never enough.  Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth (1 Timothy 6:6. The wealth of contentment is always the solution for the love of money.

I worked for seventeen years as a missionary with Youth With A Mission.  My missionary work has taken me to Mexico, Canada, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Spain, and Ukraine.  I hold a Masters of Education in curriculum and instruction from Virginia Commonwealth University.  [email protected]