John Hitizimana is a very bitter man. For some months now, he had been working on his scheduled marriage but things took a turn for the unthinkable when he was betrayed by a childhood friend. The friend had promised to cater for the venue of the wedding and pay for transport cost, but one week to the big day, his friend couldn’t answer his calls, culminating in him postponing the wedding to another day. He just inconveniently disappeared at his friend’s hour of need. In life, we have had to deal with friends who betray us. In the gospel, Jesus had to face the ugly face of betrayal when one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, led an army of those who captured and eventually killed him with that kiss of betrayal. Judas was one of his 12 disciples. Even his favorite disciple, Peter denied him on his hour of need ‘before the cock crowed thrice.’ Luke 22:3-6 says: ‘Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.’ Matthew 22:10 is even more circumvent. “And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.” The mental anguish which was caused by Judas’ betrayal is often an overlooked aspect of Jesus’ suffering. He had invested in Judas. He intensely cared for him. Jesus was discouraged. He was hurt and he wept. According to Dr. Drew Randle, Professor of Christian Ministry at Bryan College writing in Christian Biblical Studies, “we read in Hebrews that Jesus understands all that we encounter and are tempted with, yet did not sin in his own temptations. He pressed on to the task that he was called to by the Father.” Though Jesus’ internal struggle with Judas’ betrayal is not recorded, we can assume that it was difficult for him emotionally. We know that he instructed Judas to do what he’d set his mind to. He didn’t stop him or throw a fit. We also know that Jesus responded to Judas graciously. Jesus could never be accused of being a pushover, but he framed his response to Judas’ betrayal with kindness and graciousness. He goes on to say “If we have been betrayed by someone close to us – and eventually we all will – our first response should be to cry out to Jesus who loves us, pursues us, and intimately understands the reality of that betrayal.” It’s documented that during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, friends who have grown together and neighbors that had lived alongside each other for several years turned against each other. Friendship didn’t insure you from certain death because friends all over a sudden turned into enemies. This is an act that has been played out around the world for several years now. “I felt rejected and abandoned by a person I felt was quite very close to me, someone who I had closely trusted with my secrets, the struggles and victories of life. I felt dejected and at some point I felt like committing suicide. But I prayed and the power of prayer made me go through my disappointments,” says Maria Mushekimana who says that she was betrayed by her husband after he filed for a divorce Betrayal can come from unexpected quarters. That wife or husband you share the same bed with; that mother or father who brought you into this world. That friend you have shared the worst and the best of time with. But unfortunately, we never see, or expect, betrayal coming from those that we love dearly. However, when betrayal happens to you, Matthew 6:14-15 has the answer: “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgives you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
