THE COST OF BETRAYAL
THE COST OF BETRAYAL
I honestly was not going to write about this though it had been on my mind for a while. However, this morning, I got the leading that today is the day to talk about it.
This is a true story.
Kim (not her real name) and Stacy (not her real name) were best of friends. They were church sisters and did most things together. It was no surprise then that they both decided to join the church ushers A little while down the line Kim met a young man who exoressed his affection and love for her and promised to marry her. She was so happy and before long she took her friend Stacy to meet her man.
Sadly her man, behind her back, began to make advances at Stacy and eventually an affair began between the two of them unknown to Kim even though she and Stacy remained best of friends. Stacy was a very fertile young woman and at almost every time she and Kim’s man met, she would conceive. The young man would always encourage her to terminate the pregnancy and she would do so because she was afraid that her friend Kim would find out. Whether it was the case that the young man kept telling her that he would break up with Kim and be with her is not entirely sure but this process of conception and termination of the pregnancy went on for a while.
One day, the doctor told Stacy that her chances of ever having children were being greatly reduced because of all these abortions and as such she was advised to keep the current one.
All hell broke loose.
The young man said she couldn’t keep the pregnancy because he was actually going to marry Kim (who incidentally was still a virgin) and did not intend to lose her because of an unplanned pregnancy with another woman her, Stacey.
Ooh dear!! Stacey fell apart. She had been played. What if she never got another chance to conceive. No she was not going to get rid of this one. Not this time. She had done enough already and where did it land her? The man was still going to marry her friend. Stacey was adamant.
So the young man had no choice but to confess to Kim. Kim wept and wept and wept herself sore. How could he do this to her? And most painful of all how could her best friend Stacy betray her like this? The young man pleaded and pleaded and promised to still marry Kim if she would have him. So Kim agreed and they got married very quickly and quietly and shortly after she conceived.
Stacy stayed away from them and was later delivered of a baby boy while her friend Kim had a baby girl just a few months after. Years later, Stacy got married to someone else but to this day is unable to have any children for her own husband. While her son continues to live with his father and her friend Kim as her own husband refused to raise another’s son. How very sad and unfortunate!
As I read the story of Judas’s betrayal of our LORD Jesus Christ, I remembered this story of the two friends above. The betrayal of Judas was referred to as wickedness. “(With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out.) “ Acts 1:18 NIV The calamity that befell Judas had actually been prophesied by David in the Psalms. Psalms 69 is one of the Messianic Psalms. These are Psalms which fortell the suffering of our LORD, Jesus Christ.
Listen to what David said in Psalms 69:25
“Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents.” Psalms 68:25 KJV
Betrayal is a terrible thing.
Sadly only loved ones can betray and not even enemies. Judas was a dear friend and associate yet he sold his friend and master out. “and said, “Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.” Acts 1:16 – 17 NIV
Judas was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He was closer than close. The cost of betrayal is much more than we can imagine. It affects loved ones and cuts deep. It also brings about long lasting feelings of pain and regret for all parties involved. Some never heal or recover from acts of betrayal.
Our God is kind, loving and merciful. His anger lasts for a brief moment but His mercy endures forever. God will always pardon as He promised in His Word. “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” 1 John 1:9 NLT
Yet some people never forgive themselves and are never forgiven. And that is so dangerous. People have died because of betrayal.
People have committed murder because of betrayal.
People are battling mental health disorders because of betrayal.
Dear friends, let us be very mindful in our relationships with one another. With family; spouses, siblings , children , parents, colleagues at work, brethren at church and our in-laws. Love does not hurt another.
If then that is the case we should never be looking for ways to hurt our loved ones. Betrayal is never an accident. It is a deliberate act of disloyalty.
LET US LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
BETRAYAL IS VERY COSTLY.
OLUYINKA EGO-MARTINS ©