Title: The Deepest Cut / Topic: Betrayal

Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 24; Jeremiah 22; Psalm 112; John 18

Scripture: John 18:2,3
2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.

Observation: Judas, one of the twelve people that had spent the most time with Jesus and who had been hand-picked by him, betrays him. Judas "knew the place" to find Jesus because he had been an intimate companion of Him. He had participated in being sent out by Jesus with power to cure diseases and cast demons from people so he certainly knew Jesus was holy. And Jesus loved Judas. The deepest cut is to be betrayed by someone who is intimate with you. Every husband or wife who's discovered their spouse in an affair knows this feeling. Every parent who has poured their life into their kids and had them rebel, reject their values, or treat them with contempt knows it too. Unfortunately, betrayal by a loved one isn't an uncommon experience. Love given to others isn't enough to keep them from succumbing to their sin nature and hurting those to whom they should be loyal. How, then, should we handle it when it happens to us? Jesus handled it by focusing his mind on his Father's love and purpose for him. He didn't spend time nursing his hurt feelings and asking "why?".

Application: Betrayal will happen to most of us. We can let the pain of it cause us to sink into depression or we can choose to bring our thoughts captive to Jesus. We can follow his example and focus on the Lord and continue to make ourselves vulnerable to others so that we can fulfill God's purpose for us to minister to them. I have done plenty of the "nursing the hurt" in my life and it just makes me miserable and also makes me useless to God and to others.

Prayer: Father, I'm so thankful that Jesus can relate to our pain and help us to know how to handle it. Help me to always be able to forgive those who betray me from my heart and then to forget it and go on. May I fulfill Your purpose for my life and never hold back my heart from others because of the pain caused by some who have abused my love and trust.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.