Betrayal

When we hear the word betray and people who remind us of this, we usually think of only a few. The betrayal of Caesar by Brutus, et tu brute? The political betrayer in Benedict Arnold. And certainly, Judas Iscariot, as he betrays Jesus with a kiss.

The scene is another garden in Jesus’ ministry, this time the garden of Gethsemane. Immediately after the Seder supper which was shared with his disciples, Jesus brings Peter, James, and John with him to the garden to pray. It is around midnight and Jesus is feeling the agony of the plan coming to fruition. He tells his friends to keep awake while he goes to pray. After a short time of prayer, Jesus comes back to find his friends sleeping. Now, if we think about this meal as a 4-5 hour celebration full of food and wine, then we can understand why the disciples would have been tired. I know I would have been tired.

Jesus leaves them again to pray a couple more times, each time returning to find them asleep on the job. So when I think about betraying Jesus, I do see Judas’ actions as a betrayal, but I wonder about Peter, James, and John. I find language interesting and after looking up the word used for “betrayed,” describing Judas’ actions, I found that the word in Greek “paradidomai” was also used in 1^st Corinthians and is translated as “abandon.”

I find that Peter, James, and John also betrayed Jesus in their abandonment in the times when Jesus needed them the most. They abandoned him mentally by falling asleep, and then later they abandoned Jesus physically by running away right after he was arrested. Peter even took it a step further by denying that he even knew him three times.

So the question becomes, when have we been like the disciples in our abandonment of Jesus? When have we been spiritually asleep? When have we run away from God? I think that everytime we find ourselves not wanting to go and do the things God is asking us to, when we are inactive in ministry, when we have an uncaring attitude, when we are selfish, and even when we are full of pride and not wanting God’s help or guidance in our lives, this is when we are spiritually asleep. We may call ourselves “Christian” but we are asleep. We are going through the motions, but our hearts aren’t in it. This is the emphasis on much of Jesus’ ministry. He was concerned with not only what was on the outside, but more importantly, what was on the inside.

We also betray Jesus when we run away from him and from his calling on our lives. We can see this in sin, when we miss the mark of God’s desire. When we don’t love our neighbors or care for others. When we turn our backs on the church, thinking that we can worship in solitude only. This also comes in our prodigal moments. We feel we know better and don’t need God to live our lives, so we go off and do what we want, only to realize later that we truly need a Savior.

So, here’s the good news for you today. We find Jesus’ response to the betrayals at the end of the Gospel of Mark. Here we find Jesus doing two things. First, he rebukes them and their behaviors. But I don’t see this as a scolding, more of an expression of disappointment. But then he tells them to get to work. He gives them commands to go out into the world and make disciples. With this command, I see forgiveness, just as Peter is reinstated and forgiven for his denials, the rest of the disciples are forgiven and given the task of taking Jesus’ message out to the world.

Whether you find yourself spiritually asleep, or running away from God at this moment, know that God has not abandoned you. Throughout scripture, we are given promises. God never sleeps or slumbers. He will never leave you or forsake you. He loves you and wants to welcome you home. In fact, he runs to meet you, even when you were far away. He sees you and runs to you, and then throws a big party, celebrating the fact that you have returned home.