“I told them, ‘If you
think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.’ So they paid me thirty
pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, ‘Throw it to the potter’ ... So I
took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord to
the potter.” Zechariah 11:12-13
What is my loyalty price point? At what point to I exchange it for my own purposes?
Judas notoriously cashed his loyalty in for thirty pieces of silver. Thirty pieces of silver, the restitution stipulated in the Law for a gored servant (Exodus 21:32). And that’s what Zechariah's flock thought he was worth, too, for they likewise paid him thirty pieces of silver ... to just go away.
At God’s command, this Old Testament prophet cared for a flock as a good shepherd who protected and maintained a harmony for them. But they “detested” Zechariah to the point that he grew weary of them and acquiesced, saying, “I will not be your shepherd.” In good riddance, they gave him their token parting gift. And as Judas would also do more than 400 years later, Zechariah “took the thirty pieces of sliver and threw them into the house of the Lord to the potter.” Therein, God foretold the betrayal of his Son – the Good Shepherd – right down to the price for disloyalty and its return to insincere givers.
So, again, I have to ask ... Is my loyalty to Jesus for sale? If so, at what price is the “depth” of my devotion to him exposed?
Am I like the rich young man who “went away sad,” unwilling to forego his wealth, or am I like the disciples who “left everything” to follow Jesus? (See Mark 10:17-23.)
Do I cling to the comfort and certainty of my own kingship, or do I exchange my Hasbro crown and Playskool scepter for “the pearl of great price” that is God’s kingship in and over my life? (See Matthew 13:45-46.)
Do I disown Jesus, hiding him away in the shadow when in the presence of others, or do I acknowledge him before all, even at the cost of their rejection? (See Matthew 10:32-33.)
Do I cling to my “confidence in the flesh” – a zeal, righteousness, and goodness of my own attempt – or do I, like Paul, “consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus” and his righteousness? (See Philippians 3:4b-9.)
The truth of the matter is, these are not “once and done” choices, rather we constantly make discipleship decisions amid unrelenting spiritual battle. That’s how, like Peter, we find ourselves leaving everything to follow Jesus one day, only to deny him later to avoid the rejection of others.
But what we value in our sin nature pales in comparison to what Christ has for those who love him, and our loyalty decisions become no-brainers when we consider the costs from both sides ...
Temporary riches of this world: thirty pieces of silver
My own would-be kingdom: thirty pieces of silver
Conditional acceptance from the world: thirty pieces of silver
A righteousness of my own making: thirty pieces of silver
Christ in me: priceless
(To read the story of Zechariah and his flock in Zechariah 11:4-17, click here.)
What is my loyalty price point? At what point to I exchange it for my own purposes?
Judas notoriously cashed his loyalty in for thirty pieces of silver. Thirty pieces of silver, the restitution stipulated in the Law for a gored servant (Exodus 21:32). And that’s what Zechariah's flock thought he was worth, too, for they likewise paid him thirty pieces of silver ... to just go away.
At God’s command, this Old Testament prophet cared for a flock as a good shepherd who protected and maintained a harmony for them. But they “detested” Zechariah to the point that he grew weary of them and acquiesced, saying, “I will not be your shepherd.” In good riddance, they gave him their token parting gift. And as Judas would also do more than 400 years later, Zechariah “took the thirty pieces of sliver and threw them into the house of the Lord to the potter.” Therein, God foretold the betrayal of his Son – the Good Shepherd – right down to the price for disloyalty and its return to insincere givers.
So, again, I have to ask ... Is my loyalty to Jesus for sale? If so, at what price is the “depth” of my devotion to him exposed?
Am I like the rich young man who “went away sad,” unwilling to forego his wealth, or am I like the disciples who “left everything” to follow Jesus? (See Mark 10:17-23.)
Do I cling to the comfort and certainty of my own kingship, or do I exchange my Hasbro crown and Playskool scepter for “the pearl of great price” that is God’s kingship in and over my life? (See Matthew 13:45-46.)
Do I disown Jesus, hiding him away in the shadow when in the presence of others, or do I acknowledge him before all, even at the cost of their rejection? (See Matthew 10:32-33.)
Do I cling to my “confidence in the flesh” – a zeal, righteousness, and goodness of my own attempt – or do I, like Paul, “consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus” and his righteousness? (See Philippians 3:4b-9.)
The truth of the matter is, these are not “once and done” choices, rather we constantly make discipleship decisions amid unrelenting spiritual battle. That’s how, like Peter, we find ourselves leaving everything to follow Jesus one day, only to deny him later to avoid the rejection of others.
But what we value in our sin nature pales in comparison to what Christ has for those who love him, and our loyalty decisions become no-brainers when we consider the costs from both sides ...
Temporary riches of this world: thirty pieces of silver
My own would-be kingdom: thirty pieces of silver
Conditional acceptance from the world: thirty pieces of silver
A righteousness of my own making: thirty pieces of silver
Christ in me: priceless
(To read the story of Zechariah and his flock in Zechariah 11:4-17, click here.)
