While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” (Luke 22:47-48)
Betrayal.
It is one of the worst kinds of emotional pain a human being can experience in life. What makes it especially painful is that it is inflicted by someone close – a trusted friend, a loved one or even a spouse. The pain can be almost unbearable because the ones closest to you are the ones that can hurt you the most.
One person describes that experience to be like someone taking a knife and slicing your heart with it. That open, gaping wound is always hurting and not easily healed.
Jesus himself is no stranger to this experience.
He too suffered the pain of betrayal when one of his very own disciples sold him out to the Jewish leaders for money. Not only was he grieved by Judas’ actions, he was speechless at how Judas did it – using an intimate greeting of a kiss to betray Jesus.
Today we commemorate Spy Wednesday, a day remembering the inexplicable deed of a disciple. We do so in two ways.
Firstly, there may be some among us who have experienced betrayal. Our Lord understands what you are going through. He never forgot his own pain. Our liturgy for Holy Communion always begins with these words: “On the night he was betrayed he gave thanks”. He knows what you are going through is able to bring comfort and healing to your heart by his Spirit.
But more importantly, let us choose not to be the one who betrays another person and cause such hurt to others. And let us especially not be someone who betrays our Lord. We betray God when we choose to sin. This is because God has graciously accepted us into a relationship with him and every wrongdoing is a betrayal of that trust. Let us be God’s people of faith!
Have a blessed day🙏