Topic: ‘Betrayal and the Betrayer’
Text: “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 thirty pieces of silver. So, from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him” (Matt. 26:14-16).
Betrayal, particularly in this context is an act of disloyalty to a friend; it’s to deliver a friend into the hand of his enemies. This is what Judas Iscariot did to Jesus Christ, his Master and friend. A betrayer is a traitor, a backbiter. It would have been less surprising if those overtly known as Jesus’ enemies like the Pharisees and the Sadducees carried out this betrayal act and not Judas.
This shows that those nearest to us are the dangerous enemies to watch out for! No wonder it is said in Matt. 10:36, “a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household’, corroborating another scripture in Psalm 42:9 which says: “Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.” May God deliver us from unfriendly friend foes.
Believers are members of Jesus’ family in God, yet many still do things amounting to betrayal to Him. Jesus says in John 15:14, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” To do contrary to what Jesus commands could be tagged an act of betrayal and disloyalty.
The end of a betrayer is not always good. Judas, after coming to his senses, said in Matt. 27:4, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood”, he went back to the chief priest, threw the betrayal-money back at them and went to hang himself, suffering a double lose. I pray the evil spirit of betrayal will not have a place in us in the name of Jesus.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help me to live up to your expectation as a friend; help me Lord to guide against the evil spirit of betrayal against you and others in the name of Jesus. Amen.
