Bible Reading Blog
“The Compounding Effect of Sin”
Categories: Congregational Bible ReadingBIBLE READING: Luke 22-23
“The chief priests and scribes were seeking how to put him to death… Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot… and they were glad and agreed to give him money. So he consented and sought and opportunity to betray him…” (Luke 22.2-3, 5-6)
Because of his popularity, the Jewish leadership had been powerless to do anything about Jesus. So, they resorted to playing dirty, fabricating stories and blatantly lying to get Jesus to trial. The injustice is obvious, but the lack of concern for another human is just beyond what I can comprehend. They wanted so badly for Jesus not to be who he claimed to be that they missed the very Son of God. And not only that, they undertook to destroy him by the most severe means possible. All the plotting and hypocrisy surrounding these events are a disgustingly accurate depiction of the degeneration of human selfishness.
As someone has once said, “Sin always takes you farther than you want to go; keeps you longer than you want to stay; costs you more than you want to pay.” What is so tragic is that if we stop and analyze the role of sin in our own lives, we see the same types of behavior and choices. The deceptive nature of sin is that it aligns with our wants and feeds our logic. Even things we would dare not speak aloud can be justified if no one or only a few select people see.
This passage is not just a history lesson, but a study of human nature at its worst. How did such religious people become murderous and vengeful? The hatred on display in this moment was not a single event but the compound effect of sin over time. They didn’t want to kill him the first time they met him; but each time they closed their heart and stiffened their will against Jesus, they moved closer to this moment. How differently would this moment have been if there was a single choice to stop the momentum in any of the previous moments?
Some of this was the devil’s work, and we certainly face the same challenge today (Ephesians 2.1-3; 6.10-11). But ultimately, it is a battle of the will that must be overcome in the smallest moments. What may seem like an insignificant choice can quickly escalate as we become callous to where it leads. Porn addictions begin with a first look. Affairs begin with a thought. Theft, arguments, murder and all sorts of ungodliness begin with stirred passions and selfishness (James 4.1-2). When unchecked, the consequence of sin grows from a ripple into an unstoppable wave.
We must always be aware of what we are looking for because we are sure to find it. Just like these men, we are not helpless to sin, but our desires can blind us to reality. Paul would admonish us to expose the unfruitful works of darkness (Ephesians 5.11). Peter would encourage us to resist the Devil by being firm in our faith. Any time we make excuses for sin; we give Satan a place to operate (Ephesians 4.27).
