Judas, Jesus’ Friend
Scripture - Matthew 26:47-50
It is interesting to note in verse forty-eight, the write Matthew calls Judas Jesus’ “betrayer”; yet in verse fifty Jesus calls Judas His “friend”. Wow! What a concept, right! The same person who betrayed Jesus and sold Him for a few pieces of silver to be handed over for a brutal beating and ultimate physical death, Jesus called him friend.
There is a term people use called “frenemy” --- it is a person who pretends to be your friend but is really your enemy. They are the ones who sticks close to you, learn everything about you and at the right moment use what they know to betray you in some way.
I’m sure Jesus knew all along who Judas was and what he would eventually do. But He kept him in His circle and still treated him like all the other disciples. He loved Judas just the same. He loved Judas then just like He loved/loves you and I… willing to lay down His life for him still.
It doesn’t matter what people do or say to us. What matters is our heart towards them. They may talk about you, they may plot your demise, they may even be the ones who drive the knife in your back. God is going to judge them according to their actions. But more importantly, He is going to judge you according to your actions.
Am I telling you to take what they give and be a walking doormat to their abuse? Absolutely not. But you can separate yourself from your “betrayer” and still love them from a distance. What matters most is that you’re not harboring ill feelings or unforgiveness in your heart towards them. I believe this is why Jesus called Judas friend in the midst of the other disciples and while he was betraying Jesus. It was a spoken gesture to say, “Even though you betray me, you’re still my friend. I love you. I forgive you and what you’re doing does not affect how I feel about you.”
We know that eventually Judas became remorseful and went to give the money back (Matthew 27:1-10). I wholeheartedly believe his remorse had everything to do with Jesus calling him friend and still loving him anyhow. Again, we are not responsible for the action of others. We are only responsible for our own actions. However, how we treat our frenemies can play a big role in how they choose to live their lives after their encounter with us. Everybody won’t always be your friend, but you can always have a friendly attitude and a positive impact towards everybody.
Journal
- Have you even dealt with a frenemy?
- How did you act towards them?
- In light of today’s message, how can you make different decisions when it comes to your frenemies?
- Spend time talking to Jesus about any frenemies you may have in your life. Ask Him to share His heart with you --- a heart of unconditional forgiveness and love.
You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people. -Genesis 50:20, HCSB
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