24 Hours That Changed the World: "One of You Will Betray Me"
If we are honest, we must all admit to having at one time or another betrayed someone. We have disclosed a confidence, made a snide remark behind a friend's back, laughed at the expense of someone who trusted us. Maybe we have even gone so far as to be unfaithful to a spouse or cheated a business partner. Some of us like the disciples have deserted a friend in their time of need. Some of us have denied we knew someone who was in trouble. Few of us have betrayed someone to death as Judas did, but all of us, in the right circumstances, are probably capable of it.
But Jesus, as Adam Hamilton points out, continues to treat the disciples as beloved friends. He includes them at the table, prays for them, and tells them that his body and blood will be poured out in love for them. He forgives even for those who torture him to death. His love is stronger than their desertion, denial and betrayal. Had Judas lived I believe he would have learned that as well and returned to the place of honor at Jesus' side.
Jesus' forgiveness is not, however, to be taken for granted. It is meant to be responded to! Jesus, always the teacher, shows by example that he means for us to forgive each other as he has forgiven us, and to dedicate ourselves to being people who, like him, would rather face execution than betray those who love us.
And Jesus' love goes even beyond that. It is without bounds, for he even forgive those who are torturning him to death. What would it mean to love as he does -- without limits?
I know a place to start. Jesus tells us that whatever we do for or to the least of all persons, we do that very thing to him. That goes for desertions, denials and betrayals. Now, we might think, we don't do that very often, but how often have we been guilty of making unkind remarks about people we disagree with politically, or differ from us in religion, race, nationality or sexual orientation? How often have we denied Jesus by denying the motives or humanity of someone different from us? I know "political correctness" is not popular with many folks, but its roots are in the right place. Referring to people in a way that does not hurt or insult them is just the smallest beginning of the borderless earth which Jesus called the kingdom of God.
We may betray Christ in a major way when we betray a loved one, and we should all seek their forgiveness, but we betray Christ over and over again in little ways when we refer unkindly to "those people" (Muslims or Baptists, blacks or Asians, Mexicans or Iranians, gays or straights, Republicans or Democrats, fill in your own often used label!) as though they were somehow less than we are, and less included in God's love. These are small betrayals, but they can lead to larger ones. Let's call on the spirit of Christ's all-inclusive love to help us nip these small weeds of hatred in the bud.
Lord, teach us how to love as you do, and empower us by the Holy Spirit to act out that love with all we meet. Amen.
