B E T R A Y A L

Mark 14:17-19

Have you ever felt betrayed by a coach or a teammate?  Maybe something told in confidence was spoken to others or a promise went unfulfilled.  Such feelings of betrayal hurt deeply.  Imagine if betrayal were to lead to one’s death.  Such was the case in the life of Jesus.

We read about how Jesus handles a betrayal that hasn’t even occurred yet in Mark chapter 14 and verses 17 through 19, “When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve.  While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, ‘I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me - one who is eating with me.’  They were saddened and one by one they said to him, ‘Surely not I?”

Jesus’ twelve teammates were all together at something very similar to a pre-game meal when He dropped a bomb on the group.  He said that He was aware that one of them would betray Him.  It’s curious that they would each ask him, “Surely not I?”  But it makes sense when we consider that each of them was fully aware that he was certainly capable, given the right circumstances.

These men knew that betrayal is easy, but loyalty is tough.  It’s easy to betray a confidence, to forward gossip or to turn our backs on our teammates.  It’s much tougher to be loyal in hard times and to hang in with teammates who perform poorly.

As you prepare for today’s competition, be loyal like John.  Don’t betray your teammates like Judas.  Even more, be ready to love extravagantly, like Jesus.

Bible Reading Plan:
Matthew 5:21-32
Psalms 12
Genesis 29-30