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Because of only thirty pieces of silver (March 31, 2021, Wednesday of Holy Week)
Mary did not save three hundred denarii for anointing Jesus. She spent her life savings within a few minutes only in anointing Jesus. The three hundred denarii were at least a year’s income. In contrast, Judas sold Jesus only at thirty shekels of silver. Judas traded the Son of God with a value of around three hundred dollars. It is no wonder why Judas complained and criticized when he saw Mary poured the expensive perfume to anoint Jesus.
In many places in the gospel, Jesus warns us of the love of money. Not only Jesus but also the whole Bible admonishes us the danger of money and wealth. The Psalmist says, “for all their riches mortals do not abide; they perish like the beasts.” Again, he says, “For their riches, if mortals do not have wisdom, they perish like the beasts.” Jesus severely criticized the Pharisees because they loved money. St James says, “the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains.”
When the tax collectors challenged Peter if Jesus would pay the temple tax, Jesus told Peter to go fishing and find a shekel from the mouth of the first fish he would catch. Jesus asked him to use the money for Peter and himself to pay the tax. Jesus used money as he needed, but he did not gather it. Jesus told his apostles not to carry money when he sent them out to proclaim the Good News and heal the sick. Instead, he told them to depend on the provision from the people.
The Church needs money to operate. However, it is not money that operates the Church. Unfortunately, many church leaders depend so much on the money. But they still want more money for security. We always live with the danger of falling into the idolatry of money. Love of money can stop the voice of Christ at our ears. Love of wealth can make the body and blood of Christ useless in nourishing our souls. Judas heard Jesus and ate at the Last Supper but still threw himself into total despair and killed himself. It was because of only thirty pieces of silver.
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By Fr Swann KimMary did not save three hundred denarii for anointing Jesus. She spent her life savings within a few minutes only in anointing Jesus. The three hundred denarii were at least a year’s income. In contrast, Judas sold Jesus only at thirty shekels of silver. Judas traded the Son of God with a value of around three hundred dollars. It is no wonder why Judas complained and criticized when he saw Mary poured the expensive perfume to anoint Jesus.
In many places in the gospel, Jesus warns us of the love of money. Not only Jesus but also the whole Bible admonishes us the danger of money and wealth. The Psalmist says, “for all their riches mortals do not abide; they perish like the beasts.” Again, he says, “For their riches, if mortals do not have wisdom, they perish like the beasts.” Jesus severely criticized the Pharisees because they loved money. St James says, “the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains.”
When the tax collectors challenged Peter if Jesus would pay the temple tax, Jesus told Peter to go fishing and find a shekel from the mouth of the first fish he would catch. Jesus asked him to use the money for Peter and himself to pay the tax. Jesus used money as he needed, but he did not gather it. Jesus told his apostles not to carry money when he sent them out to proclaim the Good News and heal the sick. Instead, he told them to depend on the provision from the people.
The Church needs money to operate. However, it is not money that operates the Church. Unfortunately, many church leaders depend so much on the money. But they still want more money for security. We always live with the danger of falling into the idolatry of money. Love of money can stop the voice of Christ at our ears. Love of wealth can make the body and blood of Christ useless in nourishing our souls. Judas heard Jesus and ate at the Last Supper but still threw himself into total despair and killed himself. It was because of only thirty pieces of silver.