Betrayal
"After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, 'I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me.'" John 13:21 More times than I can remember, I have had conversations with individuals who prefaced the discussion with something like this, "The last time I trusted a pastor and shared confidential information with them, they turned right around and broke their word." In short, they felt betrayed. I once had a "friend" who decided that it was their job to judge me and then pass his judgment along in the form of gossip. I was absolutely floored when I found out it was him. On the other side of the coin, having betrayed others in some form or fashion myself, it is nothing short of heart-breaking, adding one more rock to the pile of regrets. Regardless of what end of the betrayal equation we may find ourselves, "troubling" is a very appropriate description of its impact. Betrayal is brutal. The Bible c...