Betrayal

When it was evening, he took his place with the twelve; and while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” —Matthew 26:20-21

I escaped being the victim of a major betrayal until I was 29 years old when one of my closest friends and housemates inexplicably turned on me, ending our friendship and spreading false accusations against me to some common friends. I was so surprised and confused that I don’t know which was stronger, the hurt or the anger I felt toward her. To be honest, I was pretty shocked at how much rage there was within me. My trusted spiritual director suggested that I look through the Psalms and pray with those that mirrored my emotions. Let me just say that the verses about bashing the teeth of my enemies had never spoken to me before then. He also suggested I pray with the passages about Judas betraying Jesus, including the one we hear in the Gospel reading today. Until that experience, I hadn’t given much thought to Judas’ actions; I was more affected by Peter’s denial.

Obviously, what happened to me when I was 29 wasn’t on the level of what Judas did to Jesus, but it gave me a glimmer of insight into the confusion and hurt Jesus must have felt when his friend betrayed him. What about you? Have you been the victim of a betrayal? Or have you been the perpetrator of a betrayal? What does this part of Jesus’ story evoke in you today?

For Prayer: Do you still need healing from a betrayal that happened to you? Or do you need healing and forgiveness for a hurt you caused? Read Matthew 26:14-25 and talk to Jesus about what is on your heart now, asking him to heal what you can’t.

To Pray: Lord Jesus, you experienced the worst of what humans can do to each other. Bring healing now to all who have been betrayed.