If you knew...

I was just listening to a podcast of one of my spiritual mentors...and wow. He just revealed a nugget of truth I had never thought about and just pass over.

One of the greatest hurts we face as leaders, pastors, or just people is betrayal by someone we are in relationship with, someone we care about. For whatever reason a relationship breaks down because of a lie, deception, or disagreement, and we feel betrayed. We feel stabbed in the back as the saying goes.

How do you  normally respond in that situation? Like most we put up walls, we retaliate, or we go into hiding. Usually anything to deal with the pain and possibly try to punish the person. Now let me ask you this. What would you do "If you knew someone was going to betray you?" How would you respond?

Would you jump ahead and hurt them first? Would you confront them with the information? Would you avoid them all together trying to prevent the betrayal? Any one of those things would be part of our human nature to respond.

But this is what Perry Noble pointed out Jesus did in John 13.

I've read and taught John 13 dozens of times from the angle of humbling yourself and serving others. But totally missed that Jesus was also serving the one who would betray him...AND He already knew Judas was going to betray Him.

v2. It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas to betray Jesus. v3. Jesus knew that the Father had given Him authority over everything and that He had come from God and would return to God. SO He got up from the table, took off His robe, wrapped a towel around Him and poured water into a basin. Then He began to wash the disciples feet....

Where it says he began to wash the disciples feet....that includes Judas. Judas, the one who sold Jesus out! Jesus didn't exclude him. In the SAME chapter Judas leaves to betray Jesus.

1. Jesus knew Judas was going to betray Him
2. Jesus knew He had been given authority over everything. He could have used that authority to prevent the betrayal or correct Judas in front of the other disciples.....or just take Judas out all together.
3. Jesus knew all this SO He got up from the table and washed their feet. It was because He knew these things that He did what He did AND included Judas in the experience.

Jesus was walking out what He was talking about in Matthew 5:43-48 and Luke 6:27-35.

The truth is this...people are going to betray you at times. But that does not exclude them from our love. I bet if we lived this way the betrayal would have a lot less power over lives.

SO knowing this.......serve/love the one who hurt you this week.