And he’ll tell her – He’s working late again, But she knows to well there’s something goin’ on.
She’s been neglected – and she needs a friend, So her trembling fingers dial the telephone.
And Lord, it hurts her – doin’ this again, He’s the best friend that her husband ever knew.
When she’s lonely – he’s more than just a friend, He’s the one she loans her body to.
Daytime friends and nighttime lovers Hoping no one else discovers
Where they go – What they do In their secret hideaway
Daytime friends and nighttime lovers They don’t want to hurt the others
So they love – In the nighttime And shake hands in the light of day.
And when it’s over – there’s no peace of mind, Just a longin’ for the way things should have been.
This old Kenny Roger’s song was a #1 hit on the US country charts back in 1977. It is one of the countless country songs that describes the bitterness of betrayal, which is a common motif in country music. Whether it is a cheating spouse, a boyfriend breaking a promise, a parent walking out on a child, an employer offering an empty expectation, a coworker usurping an opportunity, or a so-called friend stabbing you in the back, betrayal is one of the most excruciating of all human experiences. Unfortunately, most people have tasted the bitterness of betrayal at some point in their lives. Have you?
Betrayal is such a bitter pill to swallow because it involves deception from an unexpected source. Open opposition from a known enemy is hard enough, but all forms of unfaithfulness and disloyalty are downright devastating. And some of us, even many years later, are still struggling with the lingering effects of such treachery.
If it is any consolation, even our Lord Jesus Christ tasted the bitterness of betrayal. Luke 22:1-6 records the events that led to the biggest betrayal in human history, where Judas Iscariot, turned his back on the Son of Man. One of his closest companions made a deal with the devil and conspired with the chief priests to get the Son of God crucified.
The Satanic Conspirator
As most of you already know, Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples. By this time, he had spent over three years with Jesus and had heard his teachings and witnessed his miracles: he watched Jesus walk on water, feed 5000 people with a couple fish and a few loaves of bread, and raise Lazarus from the dead. Judas had every opportunity to become a fully devoted disciple of Jesus Christ, but there was always something about him that wasn’t quite right.
Now it was the last week of Jesus’ life, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (or the Passover) was rapidly approaching. This was the annual holiday when Jewish pilgrims flooded into Jerusalem to celebrate God’s deliverance of the Israelites from 400 years of slavery in Egypt. Jesus had been teaching in the temple every day that week since he had entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The chief priests and the teachers of the law were fed up with Jesus and now they were actively looking for a way to get rid of him privately because he had become so popular with the public.
It was at that very moment that Luke tells us that “Satan entered Judas.” When Luke said this, he reveals the diabolical dimension behind this scheme. Satan himself—God’s ancient enemy, the devil, reenters the biblical story and tries to get rid of Jesus once again. This was not just some run-of the-mill demonic possession; Judas Iscariot was possessed by Satan himself. This is the only scriptural reference to Satan taking possession of someone’s body. Instead of resisting the devil and trusting in Jesus, Judas opened the door for the devil to come in, and Satan pounced on the opportunity.
At the very least, this verse reminds us of the devil’s power and craftiness. Satan is the prince of darkness and he has the authority to manipulate and afflict people’s lives here on earth. Even if we don’t always acknowledge it as such, we see the effects of satanic influence all around us: drug addiction, domestic violence, child abuse, shootings, terrorism, and genocide, to name a few.
If Satan could weasel his way into Jesus’ inner circle and take advantage of a disciple who was weakened by his own sinful desires, how much more should we be on guard and build up our spiritual defenses? Like Judas, if we leave ourselves open to the power of the devil by refusing to fully devote ourselves to Jesus, Satan loves to capitalize on an opportunity. But we can resist the devil through the power of Jesus Christ. May we always walk closely with Jesus!
The Bitter Betrayer
Even though Judas’ betrayal was influenced by Satan, we still must ask the question, “Humanly speaking, why did Judas betray Jesus? Maybe he was disappointed with Jesus, as most people were. Most Jews were hoping for a military or political Messiah to lead a rebellion against Rome and liberate their people from the oppressive regime. They were looking for an earthly king of a worldly kingdom. But by now, especially after Jesus’ prophesy of the fall of Jerusalem, it had become clear that Jesus was not this type of Messiah. So maybe Judas felt betrayed because Jesus failed to live up to his expectations. (Ryken 452)
What about you? Has Jesus ever failed to live up to your expectations? Have you ever been so disappointed by Jesus that you were tempted to betray him? Maybe he allowed you to experience some tragedy that you felt like you didn’t deserve or maybe he didn’t answer your prayer the way you wanted? Maybe he didn’t deliver you from some physical or emotional burden, and you lost your confidence in him? Disappointment often leads to betrayal!
Or maybe Judas betrayed Jesus purely for monetary profit. For his part in the conspiracy, the chief priests agreed to give him money. And we know from Matthew’s gospel that Judas was the one who brought up the subject of compensation for handing Jesus over, and they agreed to pay him thirty pieces of silver. (Matt. 2615-16) Later, when Judas felt remorse for what he had done, the first thing he did was give the money back. (Matt. 27:3-5) This fits in with what we have learned about Judas from the gospels. All along Judas had been helping himself to the disciple’s treasury. (John 12:6) Money certainly appears to be a leading cause of Judas’ betrayal. The ancient church father, Cyril of Alexandria said, “Those who seek to be rich, fall into numerous and unprofitable lusts, which sink people in pitfalls and destruction. The disciple who became a traitor is clear proof of this, because he perished for the sake of a few miserable coins.” (Ryken 452)
The pursuit of profit can cause people to do strange and horrible things. Money can gain such a hold on people’s hearts that it compels them to betray their friends and even their own family members.
One of my all-time favorite cinematic depictions of monetary betrayal comes from the Coen Brother’s 2000 film “O Brother, Where Art Thou,” where three fugitives are on the run from the authorities. After finding refuge and hospitality at the home of Washington Hogwallop, Pete’s cousin, they are awoken in the middle of the night and find themselves surrounded. The leader of the trio, played by George Clooney, says: “Pete’s cousin turned us in for the bounty.” Pete responds, “The hell you say! Wash is kin!” Washington Hogwallop then shouts, “Sorry, Pete, I know we’re kin, but they got this depression on. I got to do for me and mine.” Pete: I’m gonna kill you, Judas Iscariot Hogwallop! You miserable, horse eaten’ son of a…”
Sometimes it doesn’t matter if one is family or not: coin trumps kin! This is one of the reasons why the Apostle Paul said, “The love of money is the root of all sorts of evil.” (I Tim. 6:10) Do you know anyone who has ever sold out a friend or family member for money? Betrayal is bitter, indeed!
The Betrayer in All of Us
In addition to Judas, the Bible recounts many bitter betrayals. The archangel Lucifer betrayed God. Cain betrayed his brother Abel and murdered him in cold blood. Delilah betrayed Samson and got his eyes gouged out. Job’s friends turned their backs on him when he lost everything. King David betrayed his wife Michal by hooking up with Bathsheba and becoming her baby-daddy! King Herod betrayed his own Jewish people by becoming bedfellows with the Roman Empire.
There have also been many biter betrayals throughout non-biblical history. Marcus Brutus betrayed Julius Caesar (Et tu Brute)—Henry VIII betrayed five of his six wives, not to mention that he beheaded two of them—Benedict Arnold famously betrayed the American Army during the revolutionary war—Lebron James betrayed the Cleveland Cavaliers by defecting to the Miami Heat, and then he betrayed the Heat by going back to the Cavs!
But among all the betrayers in human history, Judas’ is the worst! He committed his treacherous act against the only perfect person who has ever walked on earth. He turned his back on the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. With a two-faced kiss, he betrayed God in human flesh, the very one who was about to die for his sins on the cross.
Well, I thought Judas’ betrayal was the worst of all time! That is, until I began to think about all the times I chose momentary pleasure, monetary improvement, and imposturous power over following Jesus. That is, until I began to think about all the times I betrayed Jesus with my sinful thoughts, words, and deeds. That is, until I thought about my own selfish ambitions and hypocritical attitudes. When I thought about all these things, I came to the sad realization that I am just as bad, if not worse, than Judas Iscariot. Who am I to cast judgment on Judas as the worst betrayer in the world—when I am just like him?
If we are brutally honest with ourselves, there is a bit of betrayer in all of us. Sure, Judas’ betrayal kicked off the chain of events that put Jesus on the cross, but we all bear some sinful responsibility for Jesus’ bitter death. Many of us have been the victims of betrayal, but may we never forget that we are guilty of betrayal too!
So, how should we respond to this? First, I hope that we will always remember that Jesus died even for all sins of betrayal. If Judas had humbled himself before Lord and repented from his betrayal, Jesus would have fully forgiven him. Like his fellow disciple, Simon Peter, who denied Jesus three times, he could have been restored completely. But his guilt got the best of him and he hung himself on a tree.
Some of us are still struggling with guilt from a past betrayal. Confess it! Repent! And give it to Jesus so he can wash it away with his blood once and for all. Learn from your mistake and move on! May your guilt be transformed into gratitude for what Jesus has done for you!
Second, if you are still struggling with the pain of a past betrayal, take comfort from the fact that Jesus is familiar with your anguish and forgive as Jesus forgave you! Betrayal is always bitter, but you don’t have to hold onto the bitterness anymore! Jesus shed his blood for this too. Who betrayed you? Your mom, your dad, your brother, your sister, an aunt, an uncle, a boyfriend, a girlfriend, a spouse, a friend, or someone else? Give it to Jesus right now! When you truly experience God’s grace, you can offer grace to the guilty!