[stephenkhoo]

MANAGING BETRAYALS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ISAIAH 50:4-9; PS 69:8-10,21-22,31,33-34; MT 26:14 – 25 ]

All of us in one way or another have experienced betrayal in our life. Some betrayals simply give us great disappointments. But some betrayals can cause irreparable damage, such as a break in friendships of many years, or in a marriage. At times, it may result in huge financial losses, as in the betrayal of a business associate or partner. Many have been cheated of their money and property by their friends and loved ones. Finally, there are political betrayals because of the machinations of those who aspire to higher positions in organizations.

Regardless, betrayals cause us great sadness. Often, we are shocked into disbelief that someone whom we trust so much and have helped could turn against us, sell us out for money, position or power. That is why those who have been betrayed badly often fall into depression and in some cases, never get out of it. The anger, disappointment and hurt find no healing whenever the person comes to mind. We want to let go and yet are not able to.

In the gospel, Jesus was betrayed by Judas. But there is a great difference between the betrayal of Jesus and ours. Jesus was in the know. He knew Judas was betraying Him even before it happened. Whereas most of us find out only after it happens. Secondly, the betrayal was more than just a question of selling Him for a meagre 30 pieces of silver, the amount compensated for a slave who had been killed, but it cost Him His life! Indeed, Jesus had the divine foreknowledge to know the events ahead of Him. Earlier on, He instructed His disciples to “go to so-and-so in the city’ … ‘and say to him, ‘The Master says: My time is near. It is at your house that I am keeping Passover with my disciples.'” So, too, in the case of Judas when the Lord remarked at the Passover meal, “I tell you solemnly, one of you is about to betray me.”

The amazing thing is that, unlike most of us, if we knew that we were going to be betrayed, or harmed, even if we do not take retaliatory action, we would at least take refuge and seek safety, but Jesus did none of these. Knowing that Judas had betrayed Him, He could have withdrawn from Jerusalem and gone back to Galilee where He could find safety. Instead, He handed Himself to His enemies. He did not escape or fight back. Why did He not run away to avoid confrontation?

The truth is that Jesus came to a clear consciousness of God’s plan for Him. He had prophesied three times earlier, after Peter’s confession of faith, that “he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” (Mt 16:21), and, to the apostles’ disbelieve, that one of them would betray Him and hand Him over to their enemies. Hence, the Lord said, “‘Someone who has dipped his hand into the dish with me, will betray me. The Son of Man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will, but alas for that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born!'”

Jesus was able to surrender His life into the hands of God. When He knew His Father’s will for Him, He was ready to die for the Kingdom. Unlike Peter who tried to derail the plan of God when he said, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” (Mt 16:22) We would no doubt think like St Peter and the rest of the apostles. We seek to protect those we love. But Jesus knew that He had to fulfill the prophecy of the Suffering Servant which we read in Isaiah. “For my part, I made no resistance, neither did I turn away. I offered my back to those who struck me, my cheeks to those who tore at my beard; I did not cover my face against insult and spittle.” Jesus was ready to do His Father’s will. He cooperated with God’s will in accordance with the scriptures.

But there was also another reason why He did not stop Judas from betraying Him. The love of Jesus for humanity includes sinners and betrayers. Few live what they preach. But not for Jesus. Right at the beginning of His ministry, He said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, ‘Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile.'” (Mt 5:38-41) Jesus was hoping that He could appeal to the conscience of Judas so that he might repent. Until the last minute, Jesus was reaching out to Judas in vain.

Indeed, Jesus knows our human weakness. He respects our freedom of choice. Like Judas, we could be tempted to betray even our dearest ones because of greed, lust, power and fame. We are not exempted from the same temptations that lured Judas to sell Jesus for a price. We must not be too confident like the apostles who said to the Lord, “Not I, Lord, surely?” They were expecting a negative reply from the Lord. But the Lord did not respond to them. The truth is that we are all betrayers of some people in our lives. Which one of us can say that we had never betrayed anyone in our life? Which one of us can say that we have never betrayed the love and goodness of God for us? We were all traitors in some ways and will continue to betray people because of our human weakness.

But what the Lord is asking of us is repentance. When we sin, the Lord wants us to come back to Him with a contrite heart. Judas, after seeing what he did to the Lord, felt so ashamed of himself, and crippled with guilt he could not forgive himself, and ended up killing himself. Indeed, Satan, as St John said, had entered into Him. “The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him.” (Jn 13:2) So too, He reprimanded Peter when he was tempted to do things his way, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” (Mt 16:23) Peter who denied Jesus three times at the High Priest’s courtyard and the other ten apostles who fled and abandoned Jesus repented. Peter was grieved when he came to realize how he had denied our Lord. “At that moment, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly.” (Lk 22:60-62)

Yet, the ultimate strength of the Lord for being so patient and forgiving towards His betrayers even though they were His most trusted friends, lay in that He knew that God would be with Him. Like the Suffering Servant, He would have said, “The Lord comes to my help, so that I am untouched by the insults. So, too, I set my face like flint; I know I shall not be shamed. My vindicator is here at hand. Does anyone start proceedings against me? Then let us go to court together. Who thinks he has a case against me? Let him approach me. The Lord is coming to my help, who will dare to condemn me? They shall all go to pieces like a garment devoured by moths.” Indeed, that was the source of His comfort and strength in remaining firm and strong even when betrayed by His chosen ones. He sought refuge in the Lord. Only God is faithful, as the psalmist says, “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help. When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.” (Ps 146:3f) Let us be like the Suffering Servant, relying on the Lord for help. “The Lord has given me a disciple’s tongue, so that I may know how to reply to the wearied. He provides me with speech. Each morning he wakes me to hear, to listen like a disciple. The Lord has opened my ear.”