After reading Luke 22, I took some time to meditate on it and examine my life. Jesus had His twelve disciples who were close to Him, but one became His betrayer and another His denier. Judas, who betrayed Jesus had Satan enter him and then he sold Jesus out for a mere thirty pieces of silver. Then there is Peter, who declared that he would never deny Jesus, but Satan got permission to sift him as wheat. This is after Jesus predicted His death and resurrection and in response, Peter took Jesus aside and rebuked Him saying that would never happen. And Jesus replied, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (See Matthew 16:23). Thankfully, Jesus prayed for him that his faith would not fail and although Peter denied Jesus three times before His crucifixion, Jesus restored Him beautifully and on Peter, the Rock, Jesus built His church.
And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.” Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. But Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come?” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him. Matthew 26:47-50
Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, “Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So Peter went out and wept bitterly. Luke 22:60-62
Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss, but Jesus still called Him friend. That is amazing that He did this because He knew exactly what Judas was doing. And, I can only imagine how Jesus felt as His eyes met with Peter’s who then ran out weeping after denying his Friend. Jesus, who was fully man, although knowing what Judas and Peter would do must have felt hurt nonetheless.
How many times might I have allowed Satan access to my life resulting in me betraying or denying a friend even though sometimes I might not have realized it? There are so many ways I can give Satan an open door in my life to hurt a friend. The times when I am not being present with a friend who needs someone to listen and pray with her or him because I am too busy. Maybe I am not helping a friend in need the way that I should because instead of being ready to lay down my life for that friend, I am too concerned about my reputation as I want to be perceived as “good” before people. But Oswald Chambers said, “The good is always the enemy of the best.” And God always wants us to do His best. Far too often I may not seek God to have Him show me how He wants me to help my friend, but instead I give my opinions, ideas and suggestions which I think are good, but may not be of Him and may therefore cause my friend more harm than good.
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. John 16:13
I want to do as the Spirit of truth does as He does not speak on His own authority, but on that of the Father. I need to be able to bring my friend’s situation to God for Him to show me the truth of the situation. Because if I am not speaking God’s truth to my friend which gives freedom, then I will be speaking lies which brings bondage as Satan is the father of lies. Also, like Peter, if I am not walking in truth, I may hinder God’s purpose in my friend’s life because I do not want to see her or him go through painful circumstances which may be part of God’s refining. I need to sit with God to understand what God is doing in my friend’s life in that specific season.
The problem is many of us are not ready to be still and wait on God to provide us with an answer and to know what is on His heart regarding a certain situation. Our society’s influence tells us that we must do something, and we often hear the Christian jargon telling us to “step out in faith,” when God might not have told us to go anywhere. How many times have I gone against God to tell a friend they have to do something because their waiting is discomforting to me? I recently watched a video and in it the speaker said, “Waiting on the Lord requires more faith than stepping out and going out on your own strength.” This goes contrary to the world thinking and often as Christians we are prone to think like the world and bring its ideas into a situation instead of stopping to go to God for His guidance and being led by the Holy Spirit. And when we do this in trying to help a friend not only do we become her or his enemy, but we also become an enemy of God.
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