“Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What
are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?’ And they counted out to him thirty
pieces of silver. So from that time he sought opportunity to betray him” (Matthew
26:14-16).
One can only imagine the feeling of deep disappointment and hurt Jesus must have
felt when Judas carries through with his plan and betrays Him into the hands of evil,
sinful men. Jesus was divine enough to know this situation had to occur but human
enough to experience emotions at just the thought of it.
“To betray” means “to be disloyal to” in any way—such as, by not respecting a
confidence with which we have been entrusted or by deliberately trying to damage
another’s reputation. When we are betrayed—by family or friend—it is most
assuredly not in the same league with Judas’ betrayal of the Lord; but such an action
does stimulate within us helpless and disappointing feelings.
Betrayal goes against everything Jesus taught and stood for when He was on the
Earth—it is the opposite of the compassion, concern, and love He has taught we are
to have, especially toward our brothers and sisters in Christ and even toward others
in the world.
By implanting within ourselves biblical principles about relationships and by always
weighing the impact of our words and actions upon others, each of us can train
ourselves to be the kind of Christian Jesus wants us to be and we can be the kind of
person others respect and depend upon.
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