But see now there's this big bare spot so she's got to do the whole thing. [Laughter] So she does the whole thing, Christmas tree and all right. She does the whole thing and for the first time since I was like 16 I felt the feeling of my shirt on my back. [Laughter] It was fantastic. I was going on vacation so like three days later I'm laying out by the pool and this - this is like three days later. This guy walks by and he's got hair on his back and I went that's disgusting. [Laughter] You need to take care of that. [Laughter] But see three days before I was that guy. Listen, if we ever lose sight of what God's delivered us from [laughter] - you think you're better than other people. Sometimes you have to remember you're deliverance cost you the hair off your back. [Laughter] Sometimes you have to remember, hold on a second, hold on a second. Listen. When my tendency is to judge and criticise the answer to that always is a problem within me, so if I step back and go what about this threatens my value system? See we like to guise it with spirituality: this is violating the Bible almost never, almost never. Almost always it's violating the value system you've developed around the Bible, almost always.
So when we have a tendency to be critical or I don't know, just jealous or critical; when we have that tendency the cure for that typically is to step back and go hold on a second, this is threatening something in me. Where have I forgotten what God has done for me? Even if they're making a mistake then at that point I let them be free to make that mistake because forgiveness and mercy reigns over justice - always. Alright, let's do another one. Thirty pieces of silver - this is so cool. This will take us up to our break. Thirty pieces of silver. This is what it says in Matthew 26:14 through 16. This is the NIV this one. It says then one of the 12 - the one called Judas Iscariot - went to the chief priests and asked what are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you? So they counted out for him 30 pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand Him over. Now what's going on here? You've got a - why not just say a bag of silver? Why not, you know? Look, Jewish people don't waste words okay. They don't waste words, so when they start talking about specifics and they start using numbers you have to go back and ask yourself is 30 pieces of silver anywhere in the Torah?
Is the idea of 30 pieces of silver anywhere in the Torah and the answer is yes. In Exodus 21:32 this is what it says. If a bull gores a man or a female slave, the owner must pay 30 pieces of silver to the master of the slave, and the bull must be stoned. If the bull gores a male or female slave the owner must pay 30 pieces of silver to the master of the slave, and the bull must be stoned - so 30 pieces of silver was the redemption price put on the head of a slave. Thirty pieces of silver was the redemption price put on the head of a slave, so when the priests and Judas Iscariot get together and they say what is His life worth what do they say? Thirty pieces of silver. What are they saying? They're saying His life is worth the same as a slave, so to Judas Iscariot Jesus was not his Lord. Jesus was his slave. In Judas Iscariot's mind he treated Jesus like a slave instead of like Lord. Now do you do that? If we're going to be kingdom people the right sign has to be over Jesus' head. Is Jesus your Lord or is Jesus your slave? Before you're quick to answer let me ask you this. Your last 10 conversations with Jesus were you talking to Him like a slave or were you talking to Him like a Lord?
Did the conversation go like this: Jesus, do this for me. Jesus, do that for me. Jesus, handle this. Jesus, make this happen. Jesus, make that happen. Jesus, fetch this. Jesus, do that. Is that a slave or is that a Lord? That's a slave. So maybe even in our prayer life we're guilty of exchanging His life for 30 pieces of silver. Maybe we're saying hang on, I say He's my Lord but in actuality I treat Him like a slave. See it's very important to be kingdom people that the guy that we're following is actually king. He's actually the king. His way actually rules. Listen, whether you're talking about Jesus as a rabbi, Jesus as a prophet, Jesus as a priest or Jesus as a king, the same rule applies: His way goes, even if it doesn't match what you think is right. Like let me give you some revelation here. This is so - this is deep revelation. You ready? Here is the whole nutshell of Jesus' way in one statement. Ready? Be nice. Christians, be nice. When you're trying to decide what the right thing to do is be nice first. Be kind. Be generous. Do other people better than yourself. Be nice.