DCLM Daily Manna Today Thursday June 25th 2026 Kiss of Death

There are many things we do that we think should make God happy. We may be very dutiful in the house of God, never delinquent in rendering service to the church, and giving generously to the work of God. We may be utilising our talents, skills and abilities to the recognition of others in the kingdom of God. But God sees beyond our actions and peers into our motives, even if we are acting in a traditionally accepted manner. And that is what matters to Him.

Jesus had just been strengthened by an angel as He prayed in the garden on the night He was about to be arrested. As He challenged His disciples not to sleep but to pray lest they fell into temptation, a large mob with various dangerous weapons arrived. They were led by Judas Iscariot, who walked boldly up to Jesus to kiss Him, for that was the sign he had given the Jewish leaders to identify Christ. As he approached, Jesus confronted him, questioning, “Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?” He knew that a kiss was a traditional way of greeting friends, but now, someone He called a friend had turned a traitor and was using a kiss to betray the Son of God. When His disciples saw what was happening, they sought His permission to fight back with swords. One of them did not wait but went ahead to slice off the right ear of the servant of the high priest. Jesus promptly stopped them, touched the servant’s ear, and healed it.

Whatever service we render to God, no matter how qualitative it may seem, if its purposes are for anything other than to glorify God, it becomes an act of betrayal of the Lord who had entrusted us with such a role. It could be that we possess a good knowledge of the Scripture and can teach and preach convincingly or we can minister through songs to rouse an entire congregation, or we have the gift of prayer and faith to attract supernatural intervention from God. If the motive is insincere or aimed at showing off our skills or to attract the applause of men, it ceases to please God and becomes an act of treachery. Our hearts must be pure, our purposes noble, and our goal God-honouring; otherwise, our service would be considered a kiss of death.