Intentions can change equations

Was 300<30?

Confusing!

Yes, the equation of Judas was completely wrong. When Mary has brought an expensive perfume [Spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi, that grows in the hills of northern India)] about the price more than three hundred denarii (made of silver) and annointed Jesus' head (Mk 14:3) and feet and wiped His feet with her hair, Judas and others criticized her until Jesus mediated. 

We can read that Judas was a thief, stealing money from the money bag. I think Judas wanted the perfume bottle to be given as a gift and then later in time he could sell it and make money out of it. But his greed for money was not successful at this point of time. 

But Judas sold Jesus for only thirty silver coins which is way too much low when compared with three hundred silver coins. This shows how much Judas was possessed with greed for money. Judas made a pact with the chief priests to betray Jesus. The value for money may matter for Judas but for Jesus adoration and love towards Him mattered much, than above all else.

Proverbs 4:24 says, "Guard your heart above all else/diligence, for it is the source of life". Heart in hebrew is "leb", which usually refers to inner self, since it is considered to be the seat of one's nature. We need to gaurd it carefully from the worldly things and concentrate more on godly things. We are bought by the price of the blood of Jesus (Galatians 13:3a), and we are His people. So, let's be warned by that "..but one in a hurry to get rich will not go unpunished", (Pr 28:20), which Judah had at the end.

Intentions can change equations.

Mt 26:14-16.

Jn 12:3-8.

It's Time.

 Gaius Cassius Longinus, was a Roman Senator and a General best known as a leading instigator of the plot to assassinate Julius Caesar on March 15, 44 BC and was successful in his plot.

The above quote of Guais Cassius, "In great attempts, it is even glorious to fail", has reminded me of the attempts the Pharisees, the Sadducees and other sects tried on Jesus. We see many encounters these religious heads had directly with Jesus. Of many I remember one such incident in Lk 4:16-30. One comment of Jesus, flared up the people of Nazareth so much so that, they dragged Jesus out of the town and took him to the end of the cliff and wanted to throw him down. But Jesus withdrew from there and went on his way. It might look like a heroic failure, but has a significant cause.

In Jn 7:1-31, on v30, some tried to arrest him, yet no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come. One radical move by Jesus has flared this up. But yet the attempt failed.

In Mt 21:46, the chief priests of the temple were trying to arrest Jesus but were afraid of the people around. Just a parable by Jesus has flared up this time. But even this was a failed attempt. There are still some more incidents of such sort. 

Pleople of this world will fall into plots and make plots for others, but Jesus was a complete human and God himself, it is His time and He knows it very well. Speaking to His mother Mary, Jesus said "My hour has not yet come", Jn 2:4. Jesus clearly knows what his time is. In Jn 8:21, Jesus testifies  about his time of departure. In Mt 26:45, Mk 14:41, Jesus says, "the time has come".

Even though His Father can send twelve legions of angles (Mt 26:53), approximately 72000 or 144000 in number, Jesus backoff to "let the Scriptures be fulfilled" (v54), which say it must happen this way. People can plot but may miss sometimes, but if it is God who planned it and inspired to write it, it must happen to what was prophesied.

No man has power over his own life, but Jesus had to fulfill the Scriptures. He exactly knows what's gonna happen. In Jn 10:17,18, Jesus says, "I lay down my life, so that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own". Standing before Pilate, Jesus replies back strongly when Pilate tries to command over, "You would have no authority over me (my life) at all.. if it hadn't been given you from above".

Jesus gave his life wilfully for us. In this time of Lent, let us examine ourselves and dedicate ouselves as a "living sacrifice" (Romans 12:1) to the Lord Jesus Christ, one who poured out His blood as propitiation [gk. hilastērion, Rom 3:25] , a sacrificial lamb for our sins and who gave us complete Redemption and Salvation (Rom 3:21-26).

Thank you Lord Jesus for shedding your precious blood for us, a must need which nothing can fulfill or replaced with.