What is the meaning of John 12:6? Judas did not say this because he cared about the poor • In the wider scene (John 12:1-5), Mary pours costly perfume on Jesus. Judas objects, pretending concern: “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” • John pulls back the curtain on Judas’s heart, exposing a pious façade. Scripture often warns about outward charity masking inward corruption—see Isaiah 29:13; Matthew 23:5; 1 John 3:17. • True love for the poor flows from love for Christ (Deuteronomy 15:11; Galatians 2:10). Judas’s words show how spiritual-sounding talk can hide sin. but because he was a thief • John bluntly states the real motive. This echoes Exodus 20:15 and Proverbs 11:1: God detests stealing and dishonest gain. • Jesus later contrasts Himself with “the thief” who comes “to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). Judas aligns with that pattern, not with the Good Shepherd. • Acts 5:1-4 portrays a similar heart: Ananias and Sapphira lie about money while appearing generous. As keeper of the money bag • The disciples had a shared purse for ministry needs (Luke 8:3; John 13:29). Judas was entrusted with it—an office of stewardship that required integrity (1 Corinthians 4:2). • God’s design is that resources given for His work be handled faithfully, reflecting His character (2 Kings 12:15; 2 Corinthians 8:20-21). • Judas shows how a trusted position can become a snare when the heart is not surrendered. he used to take from what was put into it • The verb tense signals a pattern, not a one-time lapse. Repeated small thefts hardened Judas’s conscience, preparing him for the ultimate betrayal (John 13:2, 27). • Jesus teaches, “Whoever is dishonest in very little will also be dishonest in much” (Luke 16:10). Judas proves the principle. • By siphoning funds meant for ministry, he was effectively robbing God (Malachi 3:8-10). Secret sin always finds exposure (Numbers 32:23). summary John 12:6 unmasks Judas’s duplicity: behind charitable words stood a greedy, thieving heart. Assigned to safeguard offerings, he regularly pilfered them, revealing that unrepentant sin festers when cloaked in religiosity. The verse warns believers to cultivate genuine compassion, practice transparent stewardship, and guard against the subtle slide from small compromise to catastrophic betrayal. |
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