Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? See thou to that.
And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for us to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.
And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.
Wherefore that field was called, the field of blood, unto this day.
The religious leaders of the day were consumed with envy of Jesus Christ. For three and a half years He healed the broken hearted, the sick, those taken in the prison of sin. Kindness had poured from His lips. His great heart was one of love, love, love! But He was betrayed and condemned to die for the price of thirty pieces of silver.
For the price of Jesus’ blood the chief priests bought the potter’s field. The potter’s field was the place where potters would throw away their broken pottery. They discarded the pieces in the field as useless.
Treasured reader, do you feel as if your life or heart has been broken? Have others discarded you and considered your life as useless? Have you been shattered by the effects of sin in your life, either your own sin or the sins of others? Do you feel as if your life has no value and you have been, in effect, thrown away?
In Scripture, we are sometimes referred to as vessels or pottery that the potter God is forming into beautiful vessels of His choosing. God, by buying with His own blood, the potter’s field and all the broken pieces within it, is saying to us “I love you so much that I bought that field so that I could have, as my own, the field with all of the broken people within it. I shed my blood so that I could purchase broken people and put their lives back together.” He sees such value in us that He wants to put the broken pieces back together in our lives and we will be a beautiful vessel used for the glory and honor or God.
And when He puts our broken lives back together, the greatest light of His love and compassion will shine through the cracks in our vessels.
Virginia, thanks for your insight. Isn't it true that Jesus came to heal our brokenness--it's wonderful to experience that. Thankyou for your wonderful encouragement on my articles; I love the way brothers and sisters in Christ encourage each other hear. What a blessing!
