Read
Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him.
Matthew 26:48-49
Reflect
When I was a child, friends were sometimes hard to come by. I was generally a bit awkward, and I tended to use my mail a good bit more than my ears. As a result, I sometimes tried too hard to make friends, and even then, the friends I made weren’t always the right kind. When I was seven years old, I did something to try to fit in that I’ve regretted ever since.
Some of the boys on my block who I thought were cool chose me to be their leader one day, but only if I got some other “less cool” kids to come out and play. A boy in my neighborhood named David was what we might consider to be a nerd or a geek. David had some friends over at his house, and the “cool” boys went with me when I asked David to come out and play. Knowing that I was his friend, David came outside to see me, and when he did, the other boys began to pick up unripe dates from the yard and throw them at David and his friends. I’ve never forgotten the look on David’s face as he looked at me with an expression that seemed to say, “How could you do this to me?”
What Judas did to Jesus in betraying him couldn’t have been easy. He had spent three years following his master, and perhaps he thought that he was doing the right thing. The reason really doesn’t matter, because no matter the reason, he still sinned when he led people to Jesus who weren’t just going to hurt him – they were going to kill him.
Having the confidence of a loved one or a friend is almost a sacred trust. When others bring us into their inner circle, they’re putting at least a part of their lives in our hands. Friends who betray friends can do untold damage. Betrayal doesn’t necessarily bring about death, but it can break hearts and at the very least break friendships.
Today, say a special prayer for your closest friends and family, and pray for yourself that you might be the kind of friend that is worthy of the confidence and trust that others place in you.
Reflection copyright © 2024 Doug DeBolt
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
