Nip it at the bud!

Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
                                    (John 6:70)


                     Jesus said these words, after his ministry had a massive shaking. (John 6: 26-71) Jesus, at one time, had 70 disciples following him! (Lk 10:1) He, also, ministered to a multitude of people! Any minister would have been on cloud nine, set for life, but then something happened-Jesus rocked the boat! He spoke about eating his flesh and drinking his blood. We, all, know that what he was speaking about was communion, but in looking at this, we see a few things. 
          First, he was speaking to the Jews and they observed the law. Communion was a foreign word to them. Second, he spoke of eating his flesh and blood. Under Jewish law, that was prohibited. The letter of the law had caused them to miss the real content of what Jesus was saying. They missed a new thing that would have, greatly, enriched their walk with the Lord. 
                    After the multitudes of people left and the 70, Jesus continued to rock the boat. He was, just, left with 12 disciples who remained faithful. They were, probably, feeling good at being faithful, when Jesus put another "Monkey-Wrench!" He called one of them a devil! 
                     The gospel does not, elaborate, what happened after that, but as I read Matt 26, I noticed one thing. Jesus had announced his betrayal at the communion table, they were shocked! They asked-Lord, is it I? I noticed something here-from John 6:70, which was an earlier event before communion. They did not ask that question when Jesus called one of them a devil! 
                  I don't know why they did not ask that question earlier. Maybe they were, still, reeling at the deep revelation of eating Jesus flesh and blood, but they did not pay much attention to that statement. Whatever the reason, that problem area in the disciples life, that devil, which was Judas, winded up betraying Jesus. What does this show us?
                Sin is a thing that we need to pay attention to. We, all, have issues and weak areas in our lives, but if we ignore it-it will grow! Consequences will come as a result and it can be damaging to our lives. Don't allow the devil to continue to have a foothold in your life or ministry. Ask God for wisdom and confront the problem area and you'll be glad you did! Victory will be yours and a testimony will be added as a result!