I rejoice, beloved, that God has brought us all together as a group of serious committed believers who desire to please God, not only with our words, but with our lives as well.

We have all received from the Lord that we should continually search our character for that which blocks the sunlight of the Spirit from entering us.  We can be merciless with our defects of character, or sin, while celebrating in our hearts that this exercise, when done daily, brings us into true intimacy with Messiah, the Christ, the Chosen of God.

Surely many of us have felt disappointment when we have not handled unhappy events well, so let us explore together how we can receive the grace of God to do better.  These are often known as the 'hard teachings' of the Lord, but we need not fear them, for we live to please Him, and we know that our efforts here will do just that.

This is one of the blessings when we have the Lord as the center of our lives.  When we are at the center, then our failures bring deep regret, but when the Lord is the center, our failures and defects are just another bump in the road we need to negotiate and work on.

Let us consider that eventful moment when Jesus was betrayed and see if we can gain understanding about ourselves from that momentous event.

Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; and with him there was a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard." So when he came, he went up to him at once and said, "Rabbi!" and kissed him. Then they laid hands on him and arrested him. – Mark 14:43-46

In each of our lives, beloved, we live with certain experiences that are so painful that even though we know them well they still hurt each time they are revisited. This experience is known as resentment.  We weren't there in the garden when Judas showed up with the troops, but it feels like we were standing right next to him.  We have all been betrayed by those we love.  Now let us respond as does the Lord – with understanding, gentleness, and always with forgiveness at the ready.

It was St Francis who said that it is better to understand than to be understood.  Haven't we all felt misunderstood by people whom we love and they made no effort to be understanding.

We see this scene from Jesus' point of view. We remember with bruised hearts those times when we felt betrayed, especially those times when we experienced our friends or family turning against us. There is something particularly heartless in Judas approaching Jesus, referring to him with a name signifying respect, and then kissing him. A kiss, a gentle sign of love, twisted into a kiss of death.

In my own experience, I tasted the contempt and rejection of those most dearest to me.  My love for them has not wavered and I long for them as is natural.  Unfortunately, there way of life has caused them to lose the natural affections we should have for one another.  It is St. Francis who also asked in prayer, 'God grant me the serenity to accept the thing that I cannot change'.  The Lord's response is amazing.  His Spirit helps to guide our thinking, and He even uses His power to steady our feelings and eventually with praise for Him, He brings us to a place of peace and joy.

How many times we have heard the words "I love you..." when love was nowhere to be found in the hearts or deeds of those claiming love.  We need learn to accept that this is a direct result of the verse in Jeremiah that tells us that "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?" Jeremiah 17:9  This is something we are all capable of suffering from unless we deal with it by a commitment to honesty and openness with accountability.

In my own experience, beloved, I refrain from intimate relationships with all individuals who have not made a commitment to deal with this very human problem.  I must also see any loved one or acquaintance who fall into this type of behavior as being spiritually ill.  This to me is no different than being physically or mentally ill.  Forgiveness and tolerance comes to us for others when we replace blame with understanding.  After all, we are children of the Truth and the Light.  We have been forgiven and are also tolerated.  We can all say, 'There but for the grace of God...'

We can see this scene from Judas' point of view. We remember those times when we were disappointed and hurt by someone we once believed in.  Didn't Judas see himself as being wronged, and was he not disappointed by Jesus, in his own mind, for not defeating the Romans right then?  We remember how we have lashed out at someone whom we thought once loved us but who didn't love us as we wished to have been loved. We remember those times when we felt justified in our anger only to discover later that we had been grievously wrong.

We see this scene from the point of view of the crowd, from the view of religious leaders eager to get rid of a troublemaker. The temple soldiers doing what they are told to do, regardless of how distasteful their duty might have felt. The dark side of our souls that perversely enjoys seeing another person's pain.

Let us continually pray for tolerance and long suffering in dealing with our fellow man.  I could not live in the Lord's service without this precious spiritual gift.  Let us also be honest with ourselves and extremely careful when entering into long-term intimate relationships.  We must behave responsibly according to the spirit and not by our desires.

They found Jesus praying in a garden. That place where evil first had its way seems to be having its way again. Jesus doesn't fight. He doesn't resist. He doesn't run or hide. He knows that the scriptures are being fulfilled. So be it.  We too can know that "All things work for the good for those who love God, and are called according to His purpose."  Romans 8:28

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, nothing cuts deeper than betrayal. To open ourselves to another in friendship and trust and then to feel the dagger of betrayal cutting deeply into our hearts is devastating. This is where the suffering of Jesus starts. Help us see that even in this, Jesus is embracing us in love and will use the experience for good. In Jesus' name. Amen.


Today's Verse 

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. – 1 Thessalonians 3:12/NIV

Thought... "I'm not sure I can love them any more! My supply of love is gone, my capacity to love is exhausted." Yes, there are times when it seems others will exhaust our ability to love, either because of their need being so great or because of their unwillingness to love in return. How do we go on? We need a community of love; other believers who will support and love us. We need brothers and sisters in Christ who will pray for God to increase our capacity to love. We need to trust that in response to all of our prayers, God will pour more love into our hearts through his ever flowing stream of grace, the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5). When love is low, don't withdraw or give up. Draw near to God and draw near to his people asking for his grace to help in your time of need (Heb. 4:16).

Prayer... Dear Father, graciously pour Your love into our hearts and pour your love into the hearts of those in our families and church families. We need Your help to love those around us more. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. 


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Please have a blessed day, be hopeful, be encouraged, and know that you are not alone.

God’s Calling compiled by A. J. Russell.
"Twenty-Four Hours A Day" - Hazelton (adapted).
Kerry & Barry write More on Judas - adapted.
Phil Ware offers Today's Verse.
Barry Gray writes A Disciple’s Reflections.