February is Love Month! This week: Pray for those who have betrayed you (You can do it!)
Loving the Betrayer
“Betrayal is believed to be the deepest, most painful form of emotional hurt because it originates from someone trusted rather than an enemy. We expect our enemies to try to inflict pain, or at best not realize or care that their actions were hurtful, but from a friend, we expect more.
Jesus spent three and a half years with Judas Iscariot, knowing all along he would sell him out for money. Yet, He invested in him and shared His life with him as a friend.
“The saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemies; it comes from those you trust the most.” - unknown
“Real betrayal is that they knew it would hurt you and they did it anyway.” Motivational Quotes
Lazarus was a dear friend of Jesus’, and when he died, Jesus wept openly. There was no time for Jesus to weep or process the pain of loss from Judas’ betrayal as He was taken into custody, and the end began that night.
If you are ever faced with the monumental chore of forgiving someone who has betrayed you, remember Jesus. He was perfect and still betrayed by one of His closest allies and friends. He felt exactly what we feel; just hours earlier, He and Judas were dipping in the same dish during Passover – now He had been sold out, like an animal. When Judas and the Chief Priests arrived in the garden where Jesus and the disciples were praying, Jesus’ words were heartbreaking: “Here comes My betrayer!” We can’t always single out those who betray us, but we can be sure that Jesus knows the pain of betrayal, and when we experience it, He remembers and rushes to our side to comfort and help us through it.
Forgiving someone who has betrayed us, and anytime we go through the sufferings of Christ, moves the heart of The Lord towards us in a very present way. Scripture says,
"He is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18
You can do all things through Christ, even forgive and love
your betrayer.
