Matthew 26:48-49 (NKJV)
“Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.” Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.”
Have you ever seen a person betrayed by their friends and left to get in trouble all by themselves? Maybe it was their idea, or they really didn’t do it, but they were blamed anyway? How about if you were nowhere near what happened, but someone threw your name out there to deflect the blame from them?
There have been numerous books and movies over the years where the innocent are accused. They end up in jail or fighting for their lives while the endless onslaughts seemingly have no end. The very plot can change quickly to where the person now gets sweet revenge or just happily escapes the situation they are in.
During our lifetime we may have seen or experienced many of these negative events firsthand. The lies that trap us with no recourse or that false witness who just points a crooked finger right at us. Hearing those repeated lies can sting and even after a lengthy failed defense, we can be left feeling betrayed.
Getting boxed in or shoved into a corner can also stir up our anger to the point where blind rage can have us digging the hole we are in deeper. It can be difficult to remain calm, but sometimes when we scream back, we just cement our fate. More fingers become too happy to point out how our behavior proves we are guilty.
Being accused is only one half of this equation. There may be a friend, family member, or even a co-worker who is accused and we may want to defend them even if we are not an eyewitness. Our feelings have no sway on the matter if we cannot stand up with the specific facts and not just our knowledge of their innocence.
I have been on both sides of this equation where my name was dropped even though I wasn’t there. It wasn’t until I could prove that my name was not on a duty roster or I was somewhere else, that I was let off the hook. I also knew that someone was not guilty because I knew them as a person, but a character reference does not trump the accuser who was supposedly there.
Going back in history we can find thousands of situations where people were accused of crimes they did not commit. Some of the most famous get new life every Halloween. The executions during the Salem witch trials were numerous and brutal. Many did not even need substantial evidence to come to their violent conclusion.
The most famous betrayal has to be the one from the opening paragraph. Jesus was accused and plotted against by the supposed righteous of the day. The priests and the lawmakers could not let Him become larger and more powerful than them, so they enlisted one of His men to sign off on the accusations with a kiss.
Once he did, there was no turning back. The rest as they say is history or in this case “His-story.” But the plan was not their plan, it was God’s. The creator of the universe used the corrupt system for a divine purpose.
The people were used against Him. The ones that cheered during His triumphant entry to Jerusalem, were now shouting “Crucify Him!” We are all still part of that crowd today. We all deny the Lord like Peter, we all run and hide like the other disciples, and we all still sin even after we declare Him our Savior.
Even though we might not think so, our sin is the same as that kiss in the garden. There is no arguing about the level of sin it is, it is sin. A sin is a sin and all sin is a betrayal that separates us from God. We find this in Isaiah 59:2, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.”
I find it scary that God may turn away or not hear. Our actions need to backup what we say because our words can deceive as in 1 John 1:6, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” I have spent too much time walking in and out of shadows because I didn’t reflect His truth.
We are our biggest enemies and the builder of the walls we face. Too often we let ourselves get swept up by this world and James 4:4 says it best, “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
We already know that we are all sinners and fall short, but it is up to us to not sin and betray the Lord, it is up to us to return to Him daily for the grace and forgiveness only He can provide, and it is up to us how we go about doing this. Jesus even told us that all we need to do is love God and love other people.
So, join me in some reflection into our own actions. I pray that we all put our pride aside so we can see the sins that are separating us from Christ. Go to Him with your hands raised and submit yourself to His mercies. Then rise and go out to help remove all the stones that are being prepared to be thrown. All those stones of sin. Amen!
FIND YOUR WAY BACK TO ME AGAIN
I can’t believe they did that, how they hung him out to dry,
There was no one to answer as to the question why.
Everyone knew he didn’t deserve it and it wasn’t him who had to pay,
But with everyone keeping it quiet, there was nothing else to say.
The truth was overlooked and even somewhat very deep,
It was like after talking to a lawyer that a secret was sworn to keep.
The cutthroat behavior of people, to gain at someone else’s expense,
Lord, why can’t I dispute what’s being said and come to their defense.
Dear child, you can only pick the battles you are prepared to fight,
You can always get crushed by the recoil no matter if you’re right.
Like when I was betrayed in the garden I had to stop retaliation,
My defender had a church to build even after his humiliation.
You can feel my love within your heart as you stand with those in need,
Then with each decision you make, on a different path it will lead.
But the biggest betrayal there is, is when you succumb to sin,
You need to accept my grace to Find Your Way Back To Me Again.
Simple Faith Christian
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