Betrayal

Jesus went up to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. (Luke 6:12-16)

The emphasis in this reading appears to be the traitor, Judas Iscariot.  A traitor is defined as someone who betrays a friend, country, principle, etc.  We know many traitors according to this definition especially those that betray a principle such as “do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” our so-called "Golden Rule.”  For many of us it’s the rule we pretend to honor.  “Do unto others before they do unto you” is the preferred behavior.  And, that’s the recipe for our undoing.  

According to Matthew: Then he summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.  This list is almost identical to the one provided by Luke.  The few dissimilarities have no explanation.  Still, I wonder why Simon is called the “Cananean” in Matthew but later called the “Zealot” in Luke.  

Who do we know as betrayers?  Can we forgive them for their betrayals of us?  It depends.  We should try to forgive, but often forgiveness seems like a gift we don’t feel like giving.  This refusal to give that gift is normal, but we need to try for our own mental and physical well-being.

For me, I find it extremely hard to forgive those who betray our country.  These Judas's should share the fate as Iscariot.  Forgive me Lord for I do not know what I say.  Perhaps I do.

Deacon David Pierce