Wouldn't we all like to have a nice, large nest-egg fall into our laps? Where is my windfall? When will I get lucky? For some, the amount doesn't have to be that big. Hey, I'd love to have an extra $100 or $500 bucks. What am I willing to do for it? Others are looking for the big money. They need several thousand dollars to whet their minds. What are they willing to do for it?
Would you sell Jesus Christ?
Judas sold Him for 30 pieces of silver (Matt. 26:14-16). Some commentators have estimated this to be, in today's money, about $10. I have to believe it was more than that, because the potter's field was bought with the money later, but, in any case, it was a fairly small sum.
The soldiers, in a different way, sold Him for "a large sum of money" (Matt. 28:12-15). They did not betray Christ Himself, but they agreed to lie about the truth of His resurrection. They sold the TRUTH - the truth that could have made them free.
Would you be willing to sell Christ for a sum of money? It reminds me of a joke (pardon this, please):
A man asked a woman: "Would you sleep with me for one million dollars?"
She thought about it a while. "I suppose I would for a million dollars."
The man pulled out his bill-fold. "How about for ten dollars?"
The woman yelled, "What kind of a woman do you think I am!?"
The man replied, "We already established what kind of a woman you are. Now we're just haggling over the price."
Is there ANY price at which you would say, "Okay, I'll sell Jesus for that"? If you would sell Him for ANYTHING, you have already established your heart before the Lord. Jesus demands an all-or-nothing relationship.
Would you sell Him for a relationship with another person? Many say they have committed their life to Christ, but then they settle for marrying someone who does not share their commitment - a non-Christian! Or maybe they DO share their commitment. Maybe their commitment is not what they portray.
Would you sell Him to fit in? Many who claim Christ as their Lord demonstrate through the way they dress NOT to really care about what He wants by way of modesty. Some sell Him in order to party with their friends. They smear His name by calling themselves a Christian and then bar-hopping with people who have no shame. Some say they follow the Son of God and then use His name in a completely empty way. When people hear a Christian flippantly say things like, "Oh my God" or "Dear Lord" or any of a number of little sayings, what do they think?
Jesus is worth EVERYTHING we may have to give up in this life, friends. Sell everything else. Don't sell Christ.
Nathan