I feel so betrayed when my family eats the last block of chocolate in the house. Did they not think of me in those last few moments where they took that small little square of goodness and shoved it into their mouths?
I wish I had a Yoda voice that could creep into their heads when this happens. “Mother… eat the chocolate, you shall not”, or “Fill your beds with dirt I shall do…”, but alas, I am not that intellectually powerful.
Betrayal – Oh does that word have a sonic boom sound to it, as it leaves your lips and rumbles through the air, ready to rebound off the wall and hit you right back in the face and well, betray you. Typical. Should have seen that one coming.
Life is not without betrayal. We all go through it, whether it’s from ourselves, our friends or family, expectations, our leaders, or in the simple things like something cutting into your day and snatching up all the goodness that you really just didn’t expect.
In Luke chapter 17 verse 1 (TPT), Jesus teaches His disciples, ‘Betrayals are inevitable, but great devastation will come to the one guilty of betraying others.’
The ‘friend’
As unwelcoming as it is, betrayals of all kinds are inevitable, since sin entered the world.
When friends betray us it hurts, but God understands what is going on and he can help us. It is a painful thing when it happens, because we trusted someone only to have them break that trust, but we have to remember that we have probably, whether intentionally or not, betrayed others too and know how bad that makes us feel when we realise.
There is no real comfort in being betrayed, but the best thing we can do during those times is to focus our attention on the Living Word and let that be the source of comfort for us.
When we delve into the Bible, one of the most important events recorded actually helps us to open our eyes to the fact that, when we are betrayed, we are not alone. We are not the only ones who have been betrayed, others also go through it—even Jesus!
The betrayer
One of the biggest betrayals recorded in history happened in the lead up to Jesus’ death. Jesus was betrayed by one of his own disciples; his friend, whom he loved very much.
Judas betrayed Jesus by turning him over to Pontius Pilate’s soldiers. Whatever drove him to do it, you find yourself asking ‘how on earth could he do that to Jesus?’ You can just imagine how heartbroken Jesus would have been.
Because of Judas’ betrayal of Jesus, Jesus died a horrific death on the cross. But like always, this was all part of the plan and was allowed to happen in order for Jesus to save the world. He brought good out of the bad, and that is what he can do with us and our situations.
There are times in our lives when we may feel the pain of betrayal from a close friend. These moments certainly hurt and can leave us feeling heartbroken and upset. Sometimes we don’t even know the cause as to why someone has betrayed us in the first place. We may be left feeling hurt because someone we once trusted has decided to turn on us, leaving us feeling alone and bewildered. But when we trust in Jesus, we can be overcomers, in Jesus name!
If Jesus was betrayed but still managed to overcome death, imagine what we can do with the power of our God living inside of us. Imagine how much stronger and more resilient we will become because we let God carry our betrayal instead of holding it close to our hearts wondering ‘why did this happen?’
Grace
We don’t have to face death, or the burden of carrying everyone’s sin on our shoulders like Jesus did for us, but when people turn on us, we can actually receive this amazing quality called grace. It’s up to us whether or not we choose to use it.
Jesus had ultimate grace when he was betrayed, persecuted, humiliated, and killed on that cross. While he looked upon all those who betrayed him, he turned to the Lord and said: “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke chapter 23 verse 34).
Forgiveness and grace from Jesus in a moment of pure agony—that is absolute selflessness. Even as he stared death in the face, he showed grace, as he heard the cry of the criminal next to him say, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke chapter 23, verse 42), and Jesus turned to the man and said: “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Forgiveness
Jesus could have reacted towards all those who accused him, but instead he showed them love and grace by forgiving them. Forgiveness can cure not only our hearts in the situation of betrayal, but we get the opportunity to teach those who betray us, how we should be treated by showing them what they could not show us. Luke chapter 6, verse 31 says: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
We need ask God for grace. I know it can be hard, but Jesus is with us. He led by example, now it is our turn to do the same. We need to graciously forgive those who hurt us, no matter what they did, so that we can be free of their mistakes and our heartache and turn our focus onto Jesus who will guide us into the wonderful future he has planned for us.
Cartia Moore is a sword fighter, trained and skilled in the art of fencing. She is currently studying a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Screen & Media Studies, and minoring in Drama and Creative Writing. Her focus is film, television and swordfighting sequences. She is a youth leader and has a passion for bringing young girls to God and helping them to seek and find their worth and value in Him.
Cartia Moore’s previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/cartia-moore.html