Today’s Reading: Matthew 22:15-46; 26:1-30,36-56

But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” – Matthew 22:34-40

The leaders of the church were trying to trap Jesus, and yet he gave them an answer that could have changed their lives. To focus on our own love for God and the degree to which we are living that love out with all of our heart, soul, and mind — this is what God commands of us. When we truly love God, our love for Him shows up in our love for others. Loving others is a great way to live out our love for God! Remember yesterday? When we do for others, we are doing for Jesus; when we neglect to respond to the needs of those around us, we are neglecting Him. The leaders of the church missed the value of what Jesus was saying and instead plotted to capture and kill him (26:3-4). He was speaking of love but they were focused on hate.

Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume and poured it over his head.

The disciples were indignant when they saw this. “What a waste!” they said. “It could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.”

But Jesus, aware of this, replied, “Why criticize this woman for doing such a good thing to me? You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me. She has poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.” – Matthew 26:6-13

While eating at the home of a man whom Jesus had healed, a woman whom Jesus had forgiven came in and generously poured out her love for Jesus by anointing him with expensive perfume. But the disciples missed the value of this authentic offering and instead focused on the extravagance of the gift. They had the opportunity to celebrate the love of Jesus but instead allowed themselves to be distracted by the earthly value of the gift.

Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus. – Matthew 26:14-16

Judas’ life was changed the day he became one of the disciples of Jesus, but his heart did not. He had witnessed the love of Jesus in every healing, every story, and every interaction, yet his focus was still on himself and what he wanted. He betrayed the one who had given him so much in order to gain so little of what the world could offer him.

On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, Jesus sent the disciples into the city to prepare the Passover meal. That evening, Jesus joined them at the table. During the meal, he told them that one of them would betray him. One by one they asked Jesus if they were the one. Lastly, Judas asked the question he already knew the answer to.

Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, “Rabbi, am I the one?”
And Jesus told him, “You have said it.” – Matthew 26:25

After dinner, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Jesus asked his disciples to keep watch and pray while he went on ahead to spend time praying to His Father. Three times he came back to find them sleeping.

Then he came to the disciples and said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!”

And even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests and elders of the people. The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss.” So Judas came straight to Jesus. “Greetings, Rabbi!” he exclaimed and gave him the kiss.

Jesus said, “My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.” – Matthew 26:45-50a

Jesus taught us that the greatest commandment is to love God with all of your heart, soul, and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself. Then he demonstrated what love looks like. To share a meal with the one who is about to betray you is love. To call him friend the moment after he greets you with a kiss of betrayal — that’s what love looks like. To die for the sins of those who have sinned against you is the ultimate demonstration of love.

Jesus, thank you for all that you continue to teach us about love. May we gain a deeper understanding this year of what it means to love God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind, and may that love be beautifully demonstrated in our love towards others. That you would call us your friends even after we have sinned against you is a beautiful, undeserved gift. Show us, teach us, lead us, grow us. We long to be filled with who you are so that we no longer get caught up in all that has earthly value. May this Christmas bring us a new level of understanding of what love looks like. Amen.