Mark 14:1-2b

Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. "But not during the Feast," they said, "or the people may riot."

(v1-2, NIV)

It's somewhat useless or less advantageous to be without application. Yesterday was filled with simply info regarding how or in what way Jesus was betrayed. However, with respect to this new revelation (to me at least), so what? Much can be said about Judas and the betrayal and Jesus at his arrest. Much can be said about the disciples or Pilate or Herod. However, what was new for me was the desire for secrecy revealing how or in what way Judas betrayed Jesus. The Pharisees sought to arrest Jesus, but they wished to do it in secret as to not cause an uproar.

So how do we apply this to our lives? One thing that came to my mind was secrecy and hiding. What are you hiding? What are you doing that you would be ashamed of others knowing? This may be a general rule that most can agree with and not deny. However, personally analyzing our lives or having someone examine us may reveal some things. We may think we're innocent or free of this charge, but we may self-righteously feel as if we're in the right. The Pharisees probably thought they were doing right. These people who lived according to rules and regulations were always cautious of how they were viewed or perceived. Concerned with outward appearances, their dealings in secret were shamefully wrong no doubt. Similarly, Judas went in secret to agree to betray Jesus. He must have at one point thought what he was doing was "okay" at the very least. Maybe that's what we do: we rationalize our actions not questioning whether it's right, but defending that it's not wrong. Please, correct me if what I'm saying is incorrect. Are we not to live with honesty and sincerity?

It's not wrong to do things in secret. There are some passages in Matthew talking about doing things in secret. However, these refer to situations where the person is not ashamed of what he or she is doing before God. Is what you're doing in secret something you would be ashamed of if Jesus was physically present? Okay, maybe this is too far sidetracked. However, let us not partake in secret dealings that are shameful before God.