Holy Week: Spy Wednesday and Betrayal

Do you recall a time when you suffered betrayal and hurt by a friend close and dear?  I write about it more today.

When life friends cruelly betray

You, leaving you forsaken and alone.

You can discover loyalty and love

in a Savior

He felt a kiss much like you

That seared His skin

with Heat

that burnt him through to

His Heart

A Judas Kiss

of Betrayal and hurt

 

Betrayal by a friend hurts. Years ago, my friend let me down, but I betrayed her trust too. Two close friends not able to communicate in light of job loss and hurt, we felt unconnected and each of us felt the hurt equally.

Years, later we were able to forgive one another and see that we both acted human in our situations.

Another betrayal more serious happened when a man I trusted abused me and left scars that run deep. I fled to safety, but unable to reconcile with him before he died.

Betrayal hurts to the core.  Life turns dark and ugly. Doubt rears its ugly head. I deserved that treatment. If only, I had not said that I would not have hurt her. She would never have reacted the way she did, driving a spike into my heart, and we would have never lost contact for years.

One situation remedied through forgiveness and love; while the other brutal betrayal never found closure because of his inability to admit his wrong lead to distrust that forced me to leave. I know my actions in the relationship were not perfect, but no one should have to bear abuse.

Jesus’s Betrayal

Looking back over my life,  I more fully appreciate the darkness, the pain, and hurt Jesus must have felt on that awful Wednesday when Judas is said to have set in sequence the awful events that lead to His crucifixion.

Judas’s motivations for approaching the chief priest is unclear. Some say he did so for the money, but he threw the money back at them after the betrayal. Others say jealousy while other writers surmise that he thought of Jesus as a revolutionary who would rescue the Jews from the Roman oppression, and when it became apparent that Jesus had no political ambitions, Judas decided to betray him.

Whatever the reason, Judas set into motion events that led to the death of Jesus. His action and deception cut Jesus to the core, but even this act of betrayal Jesus saw as God’s will.

Judas betrayal may have lead to Jesus’s death, but remember Judas was not the only disciple to betray or doubt Jesus. Both Peter and Thomas shared the same guilt of betrayal with Judas. The only difference after their sins, they begged Jesus for forgiveness which Jesus gave them. If only Judas had returned and knelt at Jesus’ feet after His resurrection, he would have found forgiveness.

Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!” Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself. (Matthew 27:3-5)

He did not have to go this route. He could have begged forgiveness just as if you sin against someone, you can make it right by humbly asking forgiveness and making it right with that person.

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This post is written for Day 23 of the March Slice of Life Story Challenge,

I will also join several of the hops listed on my Link-up Parties page