[stephenkhoo]

A CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TOWARDS OUR BETRAYERS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: ISA 50:4-9; MT 26:14-25
http://www.universalis.com/20140416/mass.htm

The gospel of today strikes at the very core of our hearts because it speaks of an experience that all of us in some ways can easily identify with, namely, the experience of being betrayed and of betraying. The betrayal of Jesus by Judas in the gospel is neither the first nor the last in human history. Throughout history, we have seen and experienced many betrayals. Such betrayals happen not only among casual friends. It occurs even among very intimate and childhood friends, people whom we have known for many years and most of all, in marriage. Yes, even children betray their own parents; students betray their teachers; the disciple, his master; and as to spouses, well, the divorce rate will tell. Isn’t that what the Prophet Jeremiah went through when he said, “For your sake I bear insult, and shame covers my face. I have become an outcast to my brothers, a stranger to my mother’s sons, because zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.”


And what is worse is that betrayals are often committed under the guise of friendship. At least with our enemies, we can be on guard and protect ourselves, but with friends who turn betrayers, we do not know when they will strike, and who they are. Like Judas, they appear before us smiling and looking innocent, when in actual fact they are plotting against us all the time. Like Judas, many pretend not to know what is going on or what they have done. Some would even deny their malicious intentions to harm us. Like Judas, they would reply in a distressed manner, “Is it I”?


And what is the motivation for most of these betrayals? It is always the quest for some material or personal gain. Sometimes, they are committed out of fear for their lives. That is why the greed of Judas, which made him betray Jesus, is the same greed that makes people betray each other today. Of course, money is not always the cause. It could also be due to the desire for position, promotion or even influence. While it is true that we all feel that we have been betrayed at some point in our lives, we must also admit that sometimes we ourselves have been traitors. Yes, betrayal is a fact of life. No one can escape from such experiences. Jeremiah and the Suffering Servant of Isaiah were also betrayed even by their own loved ones. Like the psalmist he prayed, “Insult has broken my heart, and I am weak, I looked for sympathy, but there was none; for consolers, not one could I find. Rather they put gall in my food and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”


Hence, if today our anger and indignation is aroused against Judas, then let us look at ourselves first. Before we despise Judas for behaving so lowly as to sell his master for some financial reward, we must recognize that we, too, have sold out our friends for selfish interests. And if we question how Judas could be so ungrateful to Jesus, his master, then we should reflect too, on how we could have been unfaithful to people who have been good to us. Thus, it is not unthinkable that there are people like Judas Iscariot in this world. More often than not, we forget easily the good things others have done for us and how we have arrived at where we are because of their goodness and kindness in the past.


While betrayal is nothing new in history, yet we must ask the all important question: what is the difference between the betrayal of Jesus and our own betrayal? In other words, we want to consider how Jesus responded to betrayals in His life. For most of us, our gut reaction when betrayed is to exact revenge. If not, we will at least harbour resentment against the perpetrator. But we know that such an attitude will ultimately lead us nowhere. If that is the case, then how must we act? The answer lies in looking at how the Suffering Servant and Jesus acted in the face of their betrayers.


One thing is certain, while Jesus was quite aware of Judas’ intended betrayal of Him, He did not reject him. He did not regard Judas as His enemy. He continued, so to speak, to be nice to him. In fact, we are told that Jesus continued to offer food to Judas. This action of Jesus must not be misconstrued as Jesus pretending to be good to Judas, like the way some of us pretend to be nice to our enemies when in fact we are actually secretly plotting against them. If it were so, then Jesus is no better than Judas because, like Judas, His pretence would make Him equally a traitor as well. Nay, some scripture commentators say that this action possibly symbolizes Jesus’ last attempt to win Judas over by His love, compassion and friendship.


Surely, we know that it is not easy to act the way Jesus did. Hence, we must ask how Jesus overcame His animosity towards His enemies. Firstly, perhaps, Jesus never regarded His betrayer as a betrayer. That is to say, those who betray us ultimately betray themselves. Yes, people who are so easily tempted by personal gain and go on to betray their loved ones and benefactors only show themselves up to be the kind of persons they are. Indeed, it is said that there is no need for any punishment for sin because sin itself is the punishment. That is why Jesus did not feel angry with Judas for betraying Him. When Jesus said, “Woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed,” He said it out of sorrow for Judas. This is because Jesus knew that Judas would suffer in the long run. Indeed, in trying to destroy Jesus for his personal gain, Judas ended up destroying himself.


Secondly, I believe Jesus was able to look at His traitor without any resentment only because Jesus trusted in God, as the first reading tells us with regard to the suffering servant. Instead of taking revenge, he commended his case to the Lord. He said, “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.” He knew that so long as God was on his side, he would be vindicated even if he did not know how and when it would take place.


Like the Suffering Servant, Jesus never believed in retaliation. Fighting back against our enemies will do us no good because we ourselves will get hurt in the end. Rather, just as Jesus trusted His Father, we need to trust that God will vindicate us in the end, since God is our help. He will uphold our rights. Yes, it was His confidence that God will see Him through that enabled Jesus to be so confident in the face of His traitor. Jesus knew that nature would take its course. Yes, when we see our betrayers in this manner, perhaps we can adopt a compassionate love towards them too.


But all these become possible only when we pray like Jesus. As the first reading tells us, Jesus, like the Suffering Servant, always listened to God. If we listen to God more, perhaps we can have a share of His wisdom in dealing with our traitors and also to have a greater faith in God who will vindicate us in the end, even if we do not do anything in retaliation against our enemies. With the psalmist let us thank God saying, “I will praise the name of God in song, and I will glorify him with thanksgiving: See, you lowly ones, and be glad; you who seek God, may your hearts revive! For the Lord hears the poor, and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.”

Written by The Most Rev Msgr William Goh
Archbishop of Singapore