Read: Matthew 26:14-16; 47-50
Friend, do what you came to do. (v. 50)
Betrayal is never pretty. When someone who was loyal to you turns against you, it hurts. You may have experienced being betrayed by a close friend, a spouse, a co-worker, or a family member. The relationship with that person has been severed and trust has been lost. Jesus knows what that feels like.
Jesus knew that Judas Iscariot, one of his own twelve disciples, would betray him. Yet, he loved Judas. He washed Judas’s feet. He shared bread and wine with Judas at his table. But Jesus also knew the consequences Judas’s betrayal would bring. We hear the anguish in his heart about this as he prayed before his arrest, knowing he would be crucified. And as he was on the Mount of Olives praying, Judas, his betrayer was at hand (vv. 36-46). The one who followed Jesus for three years betrayed him with a simple kiss. And how did Jesus respond? He said, “Friend, do what you came to do” (v. 50). He did not rebuke him.
Jesus knew he was going to be betrayed. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t understand when the betrayal we experience comes as a shock. Even though your hurt may be deep, you’re not alone. Jesus will never betray you. He “will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). Give him your hurt today. Give him your pain. The one who was betrayed at the hand of his disciple and friend is with you.
As you pray, give your pain of betrayal to Jesus.
Nancy Boote, an ordained minister in the Reformed Church in America, lives in Holland, Michigan, with her husband. She serves in a variety of leadership positions within the denomination. Besides being a wife, mother, and grandmother, Nancy enjoys taking prayer walks, hiking in nature, mentoring, and has a heart for justice matters.
