The Catalyst

I once knew a girl who seemed like she had it all. We were young at the time, finishing up degrees from a 4 year college. The future was wide open, and hope filled every ounce of it. She was recently engaged, and to be honest, to everyone around her, her and her fiancé were the couple to beat. He adored her, showering her constantly with love and affection, and she was SO happy with him. This girl had it all. The man, the family, and the friends. 

Her and her best friend were inseparable. Like the kind of best friends you see in the movies, who talk to each other constantly, and are always in sync. Everyone used to joke that they were really the soulmates, and the men in their lives were just the tokens. 

Months went into the wedding planning. The venue set, the invitations sent, every song and dance carefully planned and picked. Everything was perfect. 

Then the girl's world turned upside down. First, her fiancé had her call off the wedding because he needed to find himself. Then they broke up. Then months later the girl found out that not only had her fiancé been cheating on her throughout their relationship with multiple women, but her best friend had been one of the women. 

What is the point of this story? Well, today's verses focus on betrayal. Judas betrayed Jesus. A betrayal that cost Jesus His life. Worse, Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 silver coins. 

I don’t think anyone is exempt from betrayal in their lives. Whether you predict it, as Jesus did, or you are blind sided, like the girl in the story, betrayal is awful. However, betrayal, in Jesus' story, was the catalyst. 

Here’s the thing, we know God sacrificed His Son for our sins. We know Jesus' death and sacrifice was necessary. The entire Old Testament predicted it, and the entire New Testament speaks on what exactly that means for us. It is the composition of Christianity. The one thing that no other religion has. Our God died for us, then defeated death, with no expectation other than that we believe it, and pursue a relationship with Him. 

This betrayal was the catalyst for the good that saved us all. It was betrayal that landed Jesus in the hands of the religious persecutors. It was betrayal that cost Jesus His life, fulfilling all the prophecies. It was because Jesus was betrayed that you and I sit here today, saved, and reading the gospel. 

The girl in the story was me. I would love to sit here and tell you that that betrayal was the best thing that ever happened to me, and that I am one hundred percent healed, but I would be lying. However, I did forgive them. I am still forgiving them, daily. In Matthew 5:44 it says “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Whatever I couldn’t and still can’t handle, I give to God, and I do pray for them. 

Betrayal was the catalyst for me too. I ran so hard towards God after a long period of being lukewarm in my faith. I now use my story as a ‘me too’ testimony. Most importantly, I know that what I went through, I was not alone. The circumstances were very different, but the raw, bare feelings of betrayal were the same that Jesus felt. My God, our God, truly understands. 

So to wrap this up, God always uses the bad for the good. The very essence of Christianity is hinged on this principle. The betrayal of Judas to Jesus led to the death and resurrection that saved us all. I encourage you to look at your own life, and examine the aspects of it that may not be good, but may have been the catalyst for good.

Prayer:
Dear Father,
We pray to thank you for the sacrifice you made for us. We thank you for the promise of always using the bad for the good. We pray that if there are areas in our lives that we are still holding on to resentment, misunderstanding, anger, or hostility, that you wash over our minds and hearts with forgiveness and peace. Help us see, father, your hands in our lives, constantly moving us towards your goodness and love. We pray for forgiveness for our sins, and we pray to forgive those who have sinned against us. We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.