Compare Judas' actions in Mark 14:11 with Proverbs 1:19. What similarities exist?

Setting the Scene

Mark 14:11: “They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So Judas watched for an opportunity to hand Him over.”

Proverbs 1:19: “Such is the fate of all who are greedy for gain; it takes the lives of those who obtain it.”

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Core Similarities

• Pursuit of dishonest gain

– Judas accepts money for betrayal.

– Proverbs warns against “greedy for gain.”

• Willingness to harm others for profit

– Judas plans Christ’s arrest and death.

– The proverb depicts gain that “takes the lives” of victims.

• Self-destruction wrapped in profit

– Judas’s payment ends in remorse, suicide (Matthew 27:3-5; Acts 1:18).

– Proverbs says greed “takes the lives of those who obtain it,” pointing to the taker’s own ruin.

• Spiritual blindness to eternal consequences

– Judas focuses on immediate silver, ignoring Jesus’ worth (John 12:6).

– Proverbs pictures short-sighted seekers of gain forfeiting life.

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Echoes in the Rest of Scripture

• Exodus 23:8 — bribes blind the clear-sighted.

• 1 Timothy 6:9-10 — craving money pierces with many sorrows.

• James 1:15 — desire conceives sin, sin brings forth death.

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Why This Matters

• Greed never stops with mere possession; it drives betrayal, violence, and spiritual death.

• Temporary profit cannot offset eternal loss.

• Christ offers freedom from the trap Proverbs warns and Judas illustrates (Luke 12:15; John 10:10).