Beyond betrayal

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate the origins of betrayal as the Biblical mission to bring knowledge of God to all people is contrasted with the denial of Jesus by those close to Him.

Taking Offense as origin of Betrayal

The Book of the Prophet Isaiah declares the mission of the Suffering Servant to be a light to all the nations.

* [49:6] The servant’s vocation extends beyond the restoration of Israel in order to bring the knowledge of Israel’s God to the rest of the earth; cf. Lk 2:32.

The discourse in the Gospel from John has Jesus indicate that He will be betrayed by those sitting with Him at the Last Supper.

* [13:31–38] Introduction: departure and return. Terms of coming and going predominate. These verses form an introduction to the last discourse of Jesus, which extends through Jn 14–17. In it John has collected Jesus’ words to his own (Jn 13:1). There are indications that several speeches have been fused together, e.g., in Jn 14:31 and Jn 17:1.

Michael Kaven can’t understand how Judas could betray Jesus for a few coins and how Peter could deny him three times to save himself.

As disconcerting as this is, John’s reading give me hope. Just as Jesus understood that his Father would accompany him through difficult times, we must understand that God will do the same for us. So, rather than despair, let us be mindful. Let us be on guard and catch ourselves during those times when temptation is great. And let us act according to Jesus’ teachings. Not out of fear, but out of love and with the understanding that God is with us along the way.

Perry Stone looks to taking offense as the root of betrayal and how we react differently when offense comes our way.

When offense comes, what is the difference between a person willing to betray and leave a friend and others choosing to stay and save the relationship? The answer is simple. It is the genuine love or affection a person has for the individual who has offended or, in some instances, fallen into a moral failure.

The Quora website shares ten answers to the question: “How come so many people are offended by the Bible and the Christian faith? “

Don Schwager shares a meditation on what was different between Peter and Judas?

Judas deliberately betrayed his Master while Peter, in a moment of weakness, denied him with an oath and a curse. Judas' act was cold and calculated. Peter, however, never meant to do what he did. He acted impulsively, out of weakness and cowardice. Jesus knew both the strength of Peter's loyalty and the weakness of his resolution. He had a habit of speaking with his heart without thinking through the implications of what he was saying.

Friar Jude Winkler expands the idea of the Suffering Servant of Isaiah as an instrument of salvation for all the nations. In the dualism of the Gospel of John, Jesus knew exactly what Judas doing as part of God’s plan It was night and dark. Judas embraced the Prince of Darkness  and Jesus will be exalted In glory in the outpouring of Love on the Cross.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, concludes that something must break our addiction to ourself and our opinions to heal our taking offense and open us to “fall” into the non dual attitude of the second half of life.

Unless you somehow “weep” over your own phoniness, hypocrisy, fear, and woundedness, you probably won’t let go of the first half of life. If you don’t allow this needed disappointment to well up within you, if you surround yourself with your orthodoxies and your certitudes and your belief that you’re the best, frankly, you will stay in the first half of life forever.  Many religious people never allow themselves to fall, while many “sinners” fall and rise again. Our greatest sin is not falling or failing, but refusing to rise and trust ourselves—and God—again. Make sure you are always in need of mercy and you will never stop growing.

We will fall or fail and we need to accept the mercy extended by God to “rise again”.

References


(n.d.). CHAPTER 49 The Servant of the Lord 1Hear me, coastlands, listen .... Retrieved March 27, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/isaiah49.htm

(n.d.). John, chapter 13 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved March 27, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/john/13

(n.d.). Creighton University's Online Ministries. Retrieved March 27, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/online.html

(2014, July 13). What to Do When People You Trust Betray You — Charisma Magazine. Retrieved March 27, 2018, from http://www.charismamag.com/blogs/power-up/19007-what-to-do-when-people-you-trust-betray-you

(n.d.). How come so many people are offended by the Bible and the .... Retrieved March 27, 2018, from https://www.quora.com/How-come-so-many-people-are-offended-by-the-Bible-and-the-Christian-faith-It-makes-perfect-sense-to-me-so-why-do-so-many-get-so-upset-about-it

(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 27, 2018, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/

(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved March 27, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/