day 43 truth and kisses

Today Im thinking about a verse in Proverbs 27:6    The wounds of a friend can be trusted but an enemy multiplies kisses.   What that means is that when someone really loves you they will tell you the truth even if it hurts you or is uncomfortable.  Flattery and ignoring issues and thinking we are being kind by not addressing issues actually puts us in the enemy's camp.

Judas.

And Jesus.  

What I cant quite get my head around is that at the last supper Jesus calls Judas out in front of the eleven and seems to quite clearly indicate that He knows who will betray Him.  Why did Jesus do that?  He must have known that it wouldn't make any difference.  Judas had already arranged the plot to have Jesus arrested.  In two of the gospel accounts Judas isn't named and the other disciples worry that it might be them  ( Mark 14:19,  John 13:24 ) but in the other two accounts it is clear that Jesus is talking about Judas.  So Im not sure that Jesus said it in order to get the disciples soul-searching.  He issues a really stern warning 'Woe to that man'  - there aren't many times the disciples will have heard Jesus being so scary.  The most recent event in their minds will have been the cursing of the fig tree.  Im sure they all had no idea what He was on about. 

So what was it all about?  Why did Jesus tell the disciples, who didn't have a clue what was coming and whose response would make no difference to the outcome, that one of them would betray Him?  In Matthew and Johns account Jesus speaks directly to Judas who doesn't deny or argue or change his mind.  He just leaves to go off and meet the deputation he is about to lead to the garden

I wonder if what was actually happening round that table were the wounds of a friend and the kisses of an enemy - as per proverbs.   Jesus's last act of love to Judas was to tell him the truth.  And the truth was really harsh - it would be better for you Judas if you had never been born.  You have sold me out and you are going to bitterly regret it.  Its the sort of thing you or I would say from a place of hurt as an act of bitter revenge.  An act of shaming Judas in front of everyone.  But we know Jesus isnt motivated like that.  Jesus was only motivated by love and Im sure His tone of voice reflected that.    How did Judas feel when he heard Jesus say this , knowing what he had already done and what was about to happen.   Ive already said elsewhere that I believe Judas genuinely thought he was doing the right thing when he sold Jesus out.  I think he thought Jesus would proclaim Himself King, do some miracles, establish His rule on earth.  Interestingly scripture (John 13:27) tells us that Satan enters Judas not when he decided to do a deal with the authorities, but only after Jesus has called him out.   Maybe that means that up till that moment Judas had a chance to do things differently??  I dont know.  Im still chewing on it all. 

Judas famously betrays Jesus with a kiss.  Kissing someone is one of the most intimate and personal interactions we can have as human beings.  Kissing is fond and tender and close.   But kisses ( and the people who deliver them) can lie.  True friends never do.  A true friend will hurt you rather than lie to you.  Jesus remained a true friend to Judas even while Judas was in the process of betraying him.  Jesus told Peter the truth too.  And it devastated Peter.  But the wounds of a friend can be trusted.  As Peter discovered later.


So the moral of the story is ...... are you a friend?  Do you tell people the truth however hard it might be, or do you kiss people and move on?   And if you are wounded by someone, just double check the motive behind those wounds .  Of course people wound people for lots of reasons, but sometimes the truth hurts and we hide behind being offended rather than embrace the correction (and the person) 




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