What are you willing to give me?

So says Judas Iscariot to the chief priest in the long form of today’s reading of the Passion (Matthew 26:14-27:66).

He is interested in knowing what he can get in exchange for betraying Christ.

All he cares about is what is in it for him. All he cares about is material gain.

As we hear a little later in this narrative, Judas would realize far too late the evil that he has done and the emptiness of what he thought he had gained.

He had looked in the wrong direction and asked the wrong people.

He would have done better to ask the same question of the Lord Jesus.

What are you willing to give me?

What would be our Lord’s response?

Actually, our Lord’s response is what we celebrate this very day and this very week.

“What am I willing to give you?” our Lord responds from the cross - in actions more than words. “This.”

The Lord gave his blood. He gave his heart. He gave his love. He gave his life. He gave everything.

And he gives us eternal life.

“This,” our Lord effectively says from the cross. “This is what I am giving you….

“What are you willing to give me?”