It has been said that most successful companies care more about the profit than the people.  People are indispensable—until you do not add to the profit margin.  These places are most often not places that value your worth—only your output for bottom line results.  Working for a place that treats humans only as part of the machinery to thrive in business know that humans are as replaceable as any other moving part in the company.  Caring about humans gets in the way.

When leadership sees only the big picture without caring who they hurt to get there, it is possibly time to look for a new work unless you realize upfront what is expected of you to churn out the work, giving all you have to the company while staying ahead of the curve is okay with you.  We realize that humans are not important—only the work they do to make the leadership look good in the eyes of the world around them so what they are selling is bought at a high price. What do we care?

Who we give our souls to in this earthly life makes all the difference in God’s view of thinking.  When we realize that ultimately, we work to please God first, the work we choose to support us in this life will take on a different look and feel.  Putting God first in our job search leads us to workplaces that do care about humans who find that caring actually produces more success in the lives of people who then provide productive outcomes.  But be careful of those who only pretend to care—until they don’t.

In today’s passage, the irony of Law keeping and uncaring is taken to a new level by the religious leaders who have no relationship with God.  They have been plotting to kill Jesus who has been a constant problem to their selfish living.  They used Judas’ weakness of money management, who couldn’t keep his hands out the treasury bag meant for the followers living existence. 

Judas was an easy target because he was becoming disgruntled at Jesus’s ways.  He didn’t like the way Jesus handled life situations.  Jesus was not taking over the Roman government of oppression in an all-out revolt like he would have liked.  Judas was especially indignant at the woman who came in one evening and anointed Jesus with expensive perfume.  “We could have given the money to the poor”, but Judas was really thinking he could have had more money in the bag to use for his purposes.  Judas acted like he cared as a disciple of Jesus—but he did not care.  Judas only cared for himself.   Love was lost on his own selfish greed.  This “tipping point” led to the betrayal shortly after the anointing. 

However, the religious leaders are even more uncaring than Judas!  They used Judas to get to Jesus.  The tables of uncaring are turned on Judas when he realizes where this betrayal act is heading and he finally regrets what he did to Jesus, the man he had traveled alongside for months.  Judas tries to undo his act of betrayal by giving the price paid back to the leaders, but it is too late.  The plot has picked up steam and is now rolling to the final destination of what the leaders think will solve all their problems.  The leaders’ final words to Judas were, “What do we care?”  “That’s your problem.”

Matthew—God’s Word Fulfilled

Matthew 27:1-10, NLT

Judas Hangs Himself

Very early in the morning the leading priests and the elders of the people met again to lay plans for putting Jesus to death. ² Then they bound him, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.

³ When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. ⁴ “I have sinned,” he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.”

“What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.”

⁵ Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.

⁶ The leading priests picked up the coins. “It wouldn’t be right to put this money in the Temple treasury,” they said, “since it was payment for murder.” ⁷ After some discussion they finally decided to buy the potter’s field, and they made it into a cemetery for foreigners. ⁸ That is why the field is still called the Field of Blood. ⁹ This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah that says,

“They took the thirty pieces of silver—
    the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel,
¹⁰ and purchased the potter’s field,
    as the Lord directed.”

ONE LAST LOOK…

“Judas had returned to the scene. He witnessed the official trial and sentencing of Jesus and realized that He was condemned to die. Judas’s response was one of remorse and regret. The Greek word translated “repented himself” in Matthew 27:3 indicates, not a sorrow for sin that leads to a change of mind and action, (like Peter), but a regret at being caught, a remorse that leads to despair. Peter truly repented, and Jesus restored him. But Judas did not repent, and this led him to suicide. Judas had sold Jesus for the price of a slave (Ex. 21:32). In desperation, he threw the money on the temple floor and left. The law would not permit the use of this kind of tainted money for temple purposes (Deut. 23:18). The leaders were careful to observe the law even while they were guilty of breaking it. They used the money to buy a “potter’s field” where Jewish strangers who died could be properly buried.” (Warren Wiersbe, Commentator)

A distraught Judas, fulfills what God knew he would do, proceed with the last act of selfishness.  He hangs himself. 

The priests called the cemetery “the field of blood” because it was purchased with “blood money.” Judas’s suicide added more “blood” to the name, since it was he who contributed the money.  The leading priest wouldn’t waste good money.  “It wouldn’t be right” to put the blood money back into their treasury, so they do the next best thing.  They act like they care and buy a field so people not like them can be buried.  Wow.

God cares.  Believe.  Trust in His Care.

Abba, Father in Heaven, Lord,

Thank you for caring, loving, cherishing us, your created.  We are so loved, you died to save us from our own sin of selfishness, of going our own way without you, of failures and misunderstandings.  You care!  You really care about us.  You know each of us by name.  You know how many hairs are on our head.  You love us.  We love you.  You desire a growing intimate relationship with us that is full, abundant and good.  Very good.  Thank you for caring.  Thank you for taking our problems and solving them instead of throwing them back into our faces.  You are God.  There is no one like You.  I will forever be grateful for all you are to us and do for us each day!

In Jesus Name, Amen