Trust in the Face of Deception

"One of you will betray Me." 

Jesus knew in advance that one close to him would hand him over. With Judas, the betrayal was no less ugly because it was foreknown to Jesus, who was not deceived. He knew what was Judas's intent, and scholars agree that Judas must have thought himself clever and even may have thought himself to be "helping" Jesus unveil a great earthly kingdom. 
     Judas betrayed Jesus with a sign, a kiss of greeting in the garden of Gethsemane. That kiss identified Jesus beyond mistake to the guards assigned to arrest Jesus of Nazareth, the troublemaker of Israel's religious status quo. Judas soon realized that he had not understood what he was doing in betraying Jesus, and the realization of what he had done horrified him. In handing Jesus over in betrayal, Judas put the Lord into death-dealing hands. Judas soon destroyed his own life in a suicidal despair.  
     Betrayal and Deceit are twins in the arsenals of ambition or fear. Yet, they are not too hard for God to deal with. They are exactly the kinds of thing in human beings that Jesus came to root out, by His own sacrifice, for those willing for God to transform them.   
     Yes, thanks be to God, Jesus never denies His own. He keeps His words of promise and mercy. His love would never hand us over to what is bad for us, although evil tries to do this all the time. When evil forces its way into our lives due to human frailties, Christ stands with us as we put our trust in Him. Even in the valley of the shadow of death, He is there with us. 
     "O, grave, where is thy victory? Death, where is thy sting?" Jesus, the One betrayed, rose again, victorious and clothed in an imperishable body raised from death by God's power. 
     When deceit emerges into the light, its dangers to others suddenly becomes more clear. Yet, there is another assurance beyond circumstances: "I have overcome the world," says the Risen Christ. "Do not be afraid." 
     When we see the weakness of those who do not honor their words or promises, we are enabled with God's help to "bear with" the results that eventually weigh heavily on our lives. We learn more clearly whom to trust. We remember that no human is entirely trustworthy. At any point of deception, we can lean on God and trust Him to help us.  
     God always keeps His word during our troubles. God keep His promises. Here is one of my favorites among the many promises of God: It has and always will prove to be true:    
     "Fear not, for I am with you. Do not be confused, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up with my righteous right arm" (Isaiah 41:10).   

O Death, where is your victory? 
"...But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, 'Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your victory? O Death, where is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law, but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Corinthians 15: 54-57). 


Word Study Source: http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=betray

betray (v.) 

late 13c., bitrayen "mislead, deceive, betray," from be- + obsolete Middle English tray, from Old French traine "betrayal, deception, deceit," from trair (Modern French trahir) "betray, deceive," from Latin tradere "hand over," from trans- "across" (see trans-) + dare"to give" (see date (n.1)). Related: Betrayed; betraying.

Biblical source: I Corinthians 15:54ff: http://biblehub.com/1_corinthians/15-55.htm


2013 

Controversy on and after Resurrection Day

Washington, DC

This Easter Sunday, if the reports are true, a great preaching opportunity was overlooked in the nation's capital city. As it often happens, that fact has drawn many of us to think of what was not said inside the church known as "the church of presidents" and "the presidents' church."
     The presidents' church is a narrow, pale yellow building that dates way back. It sits on the corner of 16th Street, NW, a little north of the White House visible across the way.
     It is where people in the capital city go to pray at times of national emergency. People left offices to go into that church to pray for President Reagan after he was shot one sunny afternoon. People went there to pray on days after 9/11/01. 

This day, Easter Monday. The Washington Post and other news sources were full of reports again about the historic church. On the most joyful day of the Christian calendar, Resurrection Sunday, the good news was not preached. Harangue does not help the soul or exalt God, if that is what happened, as reports said. What a humbling privilege it would have been to have heard Christ exalted. President Obama and his family were there to hear. As professing Christians, they most likely expected to rejoice.
     Yet, mind and hearts were lowered as familiar critiques of society's failures were recited, a missed opportunity.
     I have been thinking today of another church, an English church, on a snowy evening. It was the scene of another kind of history. On that snowy night, only two people entered there: an old preacher and a young man. The young man stopped in mainly to get out of a hard snowfall.
     He had been raised in a Christian home. Personally, however, he felt very unsure, almost antagonistic, about what he believed for himself.
     The preacher kept to his calling and preached the gospel. The young man listened as he sat in that cold church. The words brought unexpected warmth to the young man's soul. His heart and mind responded as the preacher ended, proclaiming, "Look up! Look up!" As in the phrase that leads into "...for thy salvation draweth nigh."
     When the preaching ended, the young man went out of that church a changed man. He soon realized God's call to preach. He sought to "stay true to the gospel," not knowing that he was to become known around the world, prolific in preaching, writing, prayer, teaching, and establishing help for London's poorest. He preached to the poor and the great. He was heard by royalty, everyday people, and powerful government leaders. He was London's great 19th century proclaimer of Christ.
     He was once criticized by another pastor for laughing from the pulpit. He replied that maybe it was that joy that drew so many. He did not know. He admired Christ who, he said, preached when He spoke and preached when He was silent. Preached preached by the sea, in the synagogue... and from a cross of crucifixion. 
     The name of the preacher who cried out "Look up!" was never greatly known and today has faded; the effect of his faithful preaching remains through his listener that night and his books--Charles H. Spurgeon* and his life devoted to Christ. That unknown preacher, the vessel of the good news, did his work that snowy night. He not only showed up; his preaching played a role in the salvation of a young listener being called by God.
     There was a third person in that English church in the unseen, living Christ. He was in the Washington church across from the White House, too. And many thought of Him, the One deserving of utmost praise.    
     "The Lord is risen! He is risen indeed." One Cross stands over the world. It points to the crucified and risen Lord. Kings and kingdoms, nations and leaders, news and uproar come and go. Christ remains. He is here and now, present and eternal. Some who do not know Christ Jesus today will soon know Him through the joy of His salvation. Their minds, hearts, and lives will open to God, with love and joy following. The gospel summary of Resurrection Day and every day is that Jesus is alive. 

Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.

This is the day the Lord has made. Let's rejoice and be glad in it! 

*The Mourner's Comforter, Morning by Morning, and many other books by C.H. Spurgeon.
Copyright (c) 2013 Opinari Writers and Jean Purcell

Maundy Thursday_the Greatest Virtue

William Blake's Holy Thursday (1794). (Photo credit: Wikipedia) *clear text below

If you asked twenty good men today what they thought the highest of the virtues, nineteen of them would reply, Unselfishness. But if you had asked almost any of the great Christians of old, he would have replied, Love. You see what has happened? A negative term has been substituted for a positive, and this is of more than philological importance.

__C.S. Lewis,"The Weight of Glory" (The Weight of Glory).

The closest anyone could come to showing a picture of Love would be to show God giving his Only Beloved Son for the world He loved so that all who believe on His Son might be saved, never perishing, but having eternal life. That picture would encompass: all of God--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--present at Creation at the beginning; the Annunciation: announcement to Mary, mother of Jesus; His birth; His baptism by John; His ministry of teaching and healing; His prayers; His words from the Cross; His death on the Cross; His being raised from death by God: Resurrection; the promise that He will come again to the earth.  

The picture of Love includes Obedience (thereby, Unselfishness) portrayed. The Son obeyed the Father's plan and thereby became Incarnate in human flesh. What a comedown from heaven's glories, and leading to betrayal, scourging, and the Cross, outside the city gates, as if being crucified on the dung-heap of Jerusalem. 

To Christians, Maundy (Latin meaning commandment) refers to Jesus' words about the new commandment He gave:

 "I give a new commandment to you:

'Love one another; just as I have loved you, you should also love one another'"

(John 13:34_Aramaic Bible in Plain English (c)2010).

Maundy Thursday in the Church calendar is the new commandment day, the Passover day of The Last Supper, the new communion that Jesus told his disciples to keep "in remembrance of Me." It is the Thursday of Holy Week, the day before Good Friday and Easter Sunday, the day when believers celebrate the bodily Resurrection of the Lord. 


There remain faith, hope, and love, and "the greatest of these is love."  


This Maundy, then, is a commandment given by Love telling us to love. May every person born again of the Spirit of God obey this commandment, which is to love as God loves.

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*A Poem (Holy Thursday in London Town)
by William Blake (1794)

‘Twas on a Holy Thursday, their innocent faces clean,

The children walking two and two, in red and blue and green,

Grey headed beadles walk’d before, with wands as white as snow,
Till into the high dome of Paul's they like Thames’ waters flow.


Oh what a multitude they seem’d, these flowers of London town!
Seated in companies they sit with radiance all their own.
The hum of multitudes was there, but multitudes of lambs,
Thousands of little boys and girls raising their innocent hands.

Now like a mighty wind they raise to heaven the voice of song,

Or like harmonious thunderings the seats of Heaven among.
Beneath them sit the aged men, wise guardians of the poor;
Then cherish pity, lest you drive an angel from your door.
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Original post text copyright (c)2012 Opinari Writers 4/5/2012