Betrayal
There are times, I suspect, that many of us believe that because Jesus knew that he would be betrayed by Judas, he took it in stride. He chose Judas to be one of the Twelve, knowing he was a devil (Jn 6:70). He chose Judas to fulfill Scripture: his own familiar friend, the one who eats bread with him, lifts up his heel against him (Jn 13:18; cf. also Ps 41). Jesus, however, is confident in who he is and what he came to do. Nothing could shake him from his mission, not even the betrayer. He was, after all, a part of the plan. Jesus must have taken this in a very business-like, matter-of-fact way.
No, he didn’t.
John tells us that Jesus was “troubled in spirit” when he announced to the Twelve, “one of you will betray me” (Jn 13:21). Being “troubled in spirit” is what we might call “being torn up inside.” Jesus was heartbroken. Referring to Psalm 41 earlier, Jesus speaks of his betrayal as the fulfillment of the pattern set in David’s life, particularly in the rebellion of his son, Absalom. Absalom was the son of David, but he wasn’t the son in line to inherit the throne. However, he wanted to be king. He sat at the gate, the place of judgment, and stirred up discontent against David, positioning himself with the people as the answer to all the wrong ways of David being king. He was successful. Even Ahithophel, David’s “familiar friend,” his closest counselor, bought into Absalom’s rebellious mission. Ahithophel joined Absalom in “lifting up his heel” against David.
“Lifting up the heel” is an image that goes back to Genesis 3 and the curse of the serpent. The heel that is bruised will bruise the head of the serpent. To put someone underfoot is to defeat them as you would the serpent. To Ahithophel, David was the serpent whose head needed crushing. David’s closest counselor, the one in whom he entrusted himself and all that he did, believes him to be the serpentine enemy who needs crushing.
During the meal that night, Judas was on the left-hand side of Jesus, a place of honor. He was given bread that had been dipped, a sign of friendship and unity. But Judas had already bought into the Jewish leadership’s view of Jesus’ kingship, rebelling against him as the Son of God, and seeing him as the serpent who needed to be crushed.
Jesus was troubled in spirit. Though it was all part of the plan, it still hurt deeply.
We are created for relationships of peace because we are created in the image of a Triune God who dwells together in a relationship of peace. Whenever a close relationship is damaged or broken, we hurt. Yes, we believe that God is sovereign, and that all of this is according to his plan. It still hurts. Yes, we are confident that we are being faithful to God in what we are doing, and the relationship is being damaged because of that faithfulness. It still hurts. The emotional pain doesn’t deter us from faithfulness to God, but it still hurts.
If you live long enough, you will be betrayed. Someone you trust will turn on you and count you as the enemy. The servant is not greater than his Lord. Examine yourself to see if you, indeed, were being faithful. If you weren’t, repent and ask for forgiveness. If you were faithful and the problem lies in the other person, grieve and stay on mission. Let them go as Jesus let Judas go
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