Dealing With Betrayal
The freshmen were showing up for college and the girl that I had claimed as my girlfriend was going to be coming down to attend that year also. I had called her my girlfriend since my senior year in high school and I was absolutely crazy over her. The only thing was, I was as bashful as any young man could be and hardly spoke ten words whenever we were together. It's kind of hard to explain, but whenever I looked into her eyes, my heart flipped and my tongue just stuck to the top of my mouth. It didn't help much that she was very shy too. We finally started talking more as my senior year in high school came to a close. The highlight of that year for me was when she asked me to escort her as a homecoming candidate. I was head over heels in "puppy love" as they called it back then. I was so honored and yet as nervous as I could be on the homecoming award night.
When I went to college we stayed in touch by letters but it grew to be less and less. I was so nuts over this girl, it didn't mean anything to me that the letters were coming further apart. I just knew I wanted to see her again and she was the one for me. Don't ask me how an eighteen year old could have had such wisdom, but I did! Don't laugh! You probably did something very similar at that age, didn't you?
Finally she had come down to go to college and I thought I would finally get to really date her and we would get to know each other better. I had thought of all kinds of things that we could do together and had not even thought of dating anyone else because she was the one for me! When she came to college something didn't seem right. She was hard to find and she had other girls answer the door to her dorm when I came to ask her out. Boy, was I surprised! I had set my heart on this gal but she had changed. I'll never forget when she finally told me that she just thought of us as friends. It wasn't her fault or mine that we had come to this place in time when everything changed.
The freshmen were showing up for college and the girl that I had claimed as my girlfriend was going to be coming down to attend that year also. I had called her my girlfriend since my senior year in high school and I was absolutely crazy over her. The only thing was, I was as bashful as any young man could be and hardly spoke ten words whenever we were together. It's kind of hard to explain, but whenever I looked into her eyes, my heart flipped and my tongue just stuck to the top of my mouth. It didn't help much that she was very shy too. We finally started talking more as my senior year in high school came to a close. The highlight of that year for me was when she asked me to escort her as a homecoming candidate. I was head over heels in "puppy love" as they called it back then. I was so honored and yet as nervous as I could be on the homecoming award night.
When I went to college we stayed in touch by letters but it grew to be less and less. I was so nuts over this girl, it didn't mean anything to me that the letters were coming further apart. I just knew I wanted to see her again and she was the one for me. Don't ask me how an eighteen year old could have had such wisdom, but I did! Don't laugh! You probably did something very similar at that age, didn't you?
Finally she had come down to go to college and I thought I would finally get to really date her and we would get to know each other better. I had thought of all kinds of things that we could do together and had not even thought of dating anyone else because she was the one for me! When she came to college something didn't seem right. She was hard to find and she had other girls answer the door to her dorm when I came to ask her out. Boy, was I surprised! I had set my heart on this gal but she had changed. I'll never forget when she finally told me that she just thought of us as friends. It wasn't her fault or mine that we had come to this place in time when everything changed.
It was my being blindly in love and not enough communication that had brought me to this place when I felt that my whole world was crashing in on me.
It is easy to look back and laugh about it now and see how I had become so serious about a relationship that wouldn't have worked out. I didn't realize then that I wasn't even remotely ready to enter into a marriage relationship but I know one thing, I was in love with her and I did feel the pain and hurt of losing the girl of my dreams. I suddenly felt betrayed and all alone.
Jesus went through the feeling of betrayal when He was approached in the garden by Judas and was handed over to the high priest.
Judas, who for the past three years had been one of the closest friends and followers of Jesus had suddenly betrayed his fellowship with Jesus. They had spent almost every day together eating, teaching and performing miracles with the other disciples! Their relationship was much closer than mine and this girlfriend had ever been. Judas had betrayed Christ for just thirty coins and later came to say that Jesus had done no wrong, but it was too late.
Again Jesus was betrayed by Peter, one of the disciples who had said that he would never betray His Lord. As Jesus stood in the courts, Peter watched from a distance. Let's look at this record in
the book of Luke when the guards had taken Jesus to the high priest's house,
Luke 22:54-62 Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off. 55 And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. 56 But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. 57 And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. 58 And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. 59 And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean. 60 And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou say. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. 61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 62 And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.
As Jesus looked at Peter that night, you know the pain Jesus must have felt, not only for the betrayal of His dear friend but also for Peter who He knew had realized his weakness as he went away and wept bitterly. Oh my, how much pain there must have been when Jesus, faced with the task before Him, experienced the injustice and betrayal of His very own disciples. Let's look back at what happened in the garden when the disciples were faced with Jesus arrest,
Mar 14:50-53 And they all forsook him, and fled. 51 And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: 52 And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked. 53 And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes.
None of these men wanted to go through this with their Messiah. They had left Him to suffer alone. The men who Jesus had cared for, fed and discipled, ran away in fear for their own lives! Does this sound familiar to any of you when things got tough in your lives? Did you ever look around for help and everyone had something else on their agenda that kept them from helping you when you needed it most? Have you experienced a divorce and suddenly found yourself alone when you needed a friend most? When the person that you loved ran one way, did some of your friends run the other way? Jesus went through this too!
He understands our hurts and our pain. He has been there and experienced it. That is why He wants to care for you today!It is when we lay those experiences of betrayal at the cross and for our own good forgive them that healing begins.
Did you ever have a friend or coworker betray you? Maybe they took credit for something that was your idea when you had trusted them enough to share it with them. Maybe your friend had betrayed you and told someone else something you that you had told them in confidence.
When we choose to do as Jesus did for us on the cross and forgive those people who put those little holes in our heart over the years, we will begin to experience the healing that provides a NEW LIFE in Christ as His love fills the voids left by the pain and hurt.
2Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
I hope you will take a few minutes right now and think about the times in your life when you felt betrayed! Forgive those who betrayed you and accept God's comfort today! Let the holes heal and live a New LIFE in Christ!
It is easy to look back and laugh about it now and see how I had become so serious about a relationship that wouldn't have worked out. I didn't realize then that I wasn't even remotely ready to enter into a marriage relationship but I know one thing, I was in love with her and I did feel the pain and hurt of losing the girl of my dreams. I suddenly felt betrayed and all alone.
Jesus went through the feeling of betrayal when He was approached in the garden by Judas and was handed over to the high priest.
Judas, who for the past three years had been one of the closest friends and followers of Jesus had suddenly betrayed his fellowship with Jesus. They had spent almost every day together eating, teaching and performing miracles with the other disciples! Their relationship was much closer than mine and this girlfriend had ever been. Judas had betrayed Christ for just thirty coins and later came to say that Jesus had done no wrong, but it was too late.
Again Jesus was betrayed by Peter, one of the disciples who had said that he would never betray His Lord. As Jesus stood in the courts, Peter watched from a distance. Let's look at this record in
the book of Luke when the guards had taken Jesus to the high priest's house,Luke 22:54-62 Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off. 55 And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. 56 But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. 57 And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. 58 And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. 59 And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean. 60 And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou say. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. 61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 62 And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.
As Jesus looked at Peter that night, you know the pain Jesus must have felt, not only for the betrayal of His dear friend but also for Peter who He knew had realized his weakness as he went away and wept bitterly. Oh my, how much pain there must have been when Jesus, faced with the task before Him, experienced the injustice and betrayal of His very own disciples. Let's look back at what happened in the garden when the disciples were faced with Jesus arrest,
Mar 14:50-53 And they all forsook him, and fled. 51 And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: 52 And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked. 53 And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes.
None of these men wanted to go through this with their Messiah. They had left Him to suffer alone. The men who Jesus had cared for, fed and discipled, ran away in fear for their own lives! Does this sound familiar to any of you when things got tough in your lives? Did you ever look around for help and everyone had something else on their agenda that kept them from helping you when you needed it most? Have you experienced a divorce and suddenly found yourself alone when you needed a friend most? When the person that you loved ran one way, did some of your friends run the other way? Jesus went through this too!
He understands our hurts and our pain. He has been there and experienced it. That is why He wants to care for you today!It is when we lay those experiences of betrayal at the cross and for our own good forgive them that healing begins.
Did you ever have a friend or coworker betray you? Maybe they took credit for something that was your idea when you had trusted them enough to share it with them. Maybe your friend had betrayed you and told someone else something you that you had told them in confidence.
When we choose to do as Jesus did for us on the cross and forgive those people who put those little holes in our heart over the years, we will begin to experience the healing that provides a NEW LIFE in Christ as His love fills the voids left by the pain and hurt.
2Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
I hope you will take a few minutes right now and think about the times in your life when you felt betrayed! Forgive those who betrayed you and accept God's comfort today! Let the holes heal and live a New LIFE in Christ!
Psalms 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
Trust in God and people will not disappoint you. We are all human and make mistakes but God is always faithful!
Trust in God and people will not disappoint you. We are all human and make mistakes but God is always faithful!
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