Betrayal Only Comes From Family And Friends Not From Enemies

I hear people make statements like, “Don’t trust anyone” but the truth is if you don’t trust people you can’t discover their inner personality, it’s trust that reveals the contents of a man’s heart.

Jesus knew Judas would at a point betray His trust, despite that He trusted him completely, trust is part of life, if you stop trusting, you ultimately would stop existing, every activity of mankind is based on trust; business, marriage, career, waking up, etc., all these orbit around trust.

You don’t have to stop trusting because some people Judased you, there are many people out there who would treat you fairly like John, you can’t meet them if you eventually get disappointed in trusting people.

Always give yourself the benefit of doubt to keep trusting, for every betrayal, believe you’ll rise, for Jesus rose.

I for one always trust completely easily that doesn’t mean I am unaware of impending betrayals and disappointments, when they show up I welcome them and move on, et la vie continue comme ça, if many people Judased me, that won’t negate the reality there are many Johns out there.

In my journey of trust, I have met many Judases, those who even sold me out, also I have met many Johns who embraced me, so I can’t tell the difference from afar, I can’t tell who’s a Judas or John without proof.

Even when I see in a vision betrayal, I still trust, Jesus allowed Judas to prove himself, so give everyone a chance to prove themselves.

To give a better explanation, here I will refer to Jesus making references to the Psalms of his father David, as it concerns trust and why we should keep trusting even when we know the heart of man is mischievous.

“All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt. An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.”
(Psalm 41:7-8)

“Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.”
(Psalm 41:9)

People gathered around David in his sick bed to gossip. Your enemies are not just people far from you, they’re peers, confidants, and associates.

David perceived, either by the Holy Spirit’s guidance or by his intuition, that they are not his friends, they are whispering against him, plotting to accelerate his suffering to cause an even quicker death.

In the multitude of people around you, they smile and laugh with you, don’t be surprised that none is a friends, it was so with the great King David, so you aren’t free.

It’s not paranoia if friends are plotting against you! David’s peers talk about his illness as though his death is a total conclusion. They expect David will never rise again from his sickbed; in their eyes they draw a sizeable grave to lower him down.

David amid his great hardship, looked around and saw peers plotting against him, smiling with their lips but scheming with their eyes? Counting the seconds of the time to see him breathe his last.

Jesus made references to the above Psalms of David, He looked around the table at His last supper, and saw Judas Iscariot, acting as if he was just one of the twelve, just another disciple, just a faithful follower.

Jesus could see the smile on Judas’ lips, but He could also see the sin in his heart. Judas was Jesus’ familiar friend, in whom He trusted, with whom he broke bread, and he “lifted his heel” (an act of defiance) against Him.

Of course, David’s words here were quoted by the Master, drawing a direct parallel between David’s plight and His betrayal at the hands of Judas (John 13:18).

The question may be raised: If Jesus could read Judas’ mind and know what he was planning, why does it say “in whom I trusted”? Doesn’t that imply Jesus was tricked or that He didn’t know Judas would sin?

How can you trust someone you know is going to betray you? Isn’t that a contradiction of terms?
The simplest explanation is, Jesus “trusted” Judas despite the betrayal he would do. Jesus treated Judas like a friend and a brother because, to Jesus, that’s exactly what Judas was, right up until the moment he betrayed Him.

Judas was a brother and a family friend, he grew up with Jesus, he knew his mother, father and 6 siblings, they played together as children in the neighbourhood of Nazareth, despite the fact He knew the betrayal would come from him he still loved him like a friend and brother.

Despite knowing what Judas was planning, Jesus continued to speak kindly toward him, continued to confide in him, and shared with him secrets other disciples didn’t know, because he was more than a friend.
This is a reminder of our own free will. God knows what we are going to do, but it’s still up to us to do those things or not.

Salvation is available when we choose to do wrong, but the Lord, despite knowing our choice,e will not interfere or force us to do the right thing.

Even when we choose to do wrong, God can’t stop us, or make us accept salvation He didn’t with Judas; He won’t with us.

The most He will do, as He did for us all, is die on the cross so that we could have a second chance to make the right choice.

Salvation is a personal choice, it stands between good and evil, it isn’t one-sided, He already died the death and offered us a second chance, even in the face of sin, yes even in the face of sin, salvation allows us to do the right thing.

We don’t have to say someone or something made us do it, no one, nothing has the power to make us do anything against our will, because Jesus did it all for us, so we are already saved from someone or anything that may push us into doing against our will.

They betrayed Jesus and laid Him down in the tomb, on the third day Christ rose beyond the gossips and disappointments in the streets of Jerusalem and Galilee, and you my dear friend, shall rise above every betrayal and disappointment.

-Kanayo Ebuka