BETRAYAL!

"Et tu Brute, then fall Caesar"; a Latin phrase meaning "Even you, Brutus?".
These most famous words in English literature speak of the betrayal of a friend. Julius Caesar lamented that his close friend Brutus was stabbing him leaving him without hope.

We expect our friends and family to stand by us through thick and thin. If we can't count on our friends and family to pull us through hard times then who can we count on?

Do you realize that the only people that can betray us are those who are close to us? Jesus said in:

Luke 21:16 "And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death."

Notice that He doesn't say anything about enemies; it's family and friends, the ones closest to us. It's people that have inside information and knowledge. It's people that we have let down our guard with and been vulnerable to. People with whom we have shared our life's stories, secrets and sorrows.

That's what makes betrayal so painful; you never see it coming! But even if you could see it coming it would be no less painful.

Don't forget that Jesus experienced betrayal by one of His chosen disciples. During the ministry of Jesus, Judas Iscariot was working behind His back to betray Him. Judas was an eyewitness to the miracles that Jesus performed and he not only partook of communion but allowed Jesus to wash his feet.

The betrayer has the ability to smile in your face while stabbing you in the back; without blinking an eye.

I have learned that when someone tells you that they've got your back they may possibly mean that they have put a bull eyes on your back. They've got your back ready for target practice.

How is that possible? How can we get to such a place to where we will betray someone even to death?

Psalm 55:12-14

12 For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:

13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.

14 We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.

One of the greatest trials we can go through and one of the greatest hurts is when someone you really love, a friend or a family member betrays you.

Psalm 41:9 "Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me."

Sometimes our friends can hurt us very deeply. David said, "The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords".

A betrayer is often the same person you go to church with; how sad and disappointing it is when church members, people we fellowship with in the house of God, turn against us and hurt us.

David prayed and said, "Lord, you are the only One who can take care of this. I don't understand it. I'm not going to return evil for evil. I'm just going to leave it with You."

If we really want to be like Jesus we will be a friend who blesses instead of betrays. Jesus is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.

Betrayal hurts deeply; its never justified and you never feel exonerated. How we respond to betrayal is a true test of our faith. When others do their worst towards us then the only righteous recourse we have is to leave it with God.

Matthew 24:10 "And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another."

Matthew 24:12 "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."