From the Pastor’ Pen

Final thoughts on Mark 14:17-19

In the evening He came with the twelve.  Now as they sat and ate, Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you who eats with Me will betray Me.”  And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him one by one, “Is it I?”  And another said, “Is it I?”        NKJV

According to Matthew 26:22, every single one of Jesus’ Apostles responded to his announcement that one of them would betray Him with the question, “Is it I?”  They all recognized the potential for betrayal within themselves.  Likewise, the potential for betraying the Lord is in each of us as well. 

Abraham was a man of commendable faith and the friend of God (James 2:23), and yet when the famine came, he betrayed the Lord who had called him to the land of Cainan by fleeing to Egypt and there lying about his relationship with Sarai, his wife (Gen. 12:10-13).  David was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), and yet he betrayed the Lord in his adulterous affair with Bathsheba (II Sam. 11).  Peter was a leader among the Apostles (Matt. 16:16-19), and yet after stating that he would never forsake the Jesus (Matt. 26:33-35), he betrayed the Lord by denying Him three times (Matt. 26:69-75). 

Dear reader, do you recognize the potential for betrayal within yourself?  Perhaps you are considering betraying the Lord by taking a job that is immoral, or unethical, or a bad Christian testimony because of the money that it pays.  Or maybe you are considering betraying the Lord by accepting a sales position that will require you to lie about a product, or accepting a job that will take you out of church services on Sundays.

Will you betray the Lord by falsifying your requirements on a job application, or by taking a bribe of some type, or by cheating on your income taxes?  Perhaps a young woman or young man is reading this who is considering betraying the Lord by giving up her/his purity for a moment of sexual pleasure.  Or maybe you are being tempted to betray the Lord by using addictive substances such as drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes.

The potential for betrayal lies within each of us, but the power to overcome these temptations comes from the Lord (John 15:5, Phil. 4:13, II Pet. 2:9); and if you have already fallen to temptation do not despair, but seek the Lord’s cleansing, for He is ready and willing to forgive and heal the one who truly repents of his sins and trusts in Him (I John 1:8-2:2).