When the Unthinkable Happens - Daughters of Promise - May 3, 2019

WHEN THE UNTHINKABLE HAPPENS

King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is the man who has dared to do such a thing?” Esther said, “The adversary and enemy is this vile Haman.” Esther 7:5-6

King Xerxes was probably expecting to hear Esther reveal the name of a stranger, or at the very worst, the name of an acquaintance far removed from his royal court. I’m sure he wasn’t ready to hear the name of a friend and his most trusted advisor. The crime Haman committed against the Jews was unthinkable in itself, but the personal betrayal he committed against the King was pure mutiny.

Betrayal is always personal. Haman was exposed at Esther’s private dinner party. Nearly 800 years later, Judas was exposed at a similar private dinner engagement in an upper room with his closest friends. When Jesus suggested that one in the room would betray Him, the group was incredulous. It was beyond their ability to grasp that one so close to them and to Jesus could do such a thing. They were among their most cherished friends.
The more intimate the relationship, the more severe the sense of betrayal. Seeing the true colors of someone close to me can be a life-defining moment. I might forever divide my life into two parts ~ ‘before I knew the truth’ and ‘after I knew the truth.’ Innocence is corrupted. Love and loyalty lay in ruins. Trust is in ashes.

I do not survive a broken heart without the graciousness of Jesus’ heart toward me. It is a momentary grace, too. He does not give wings for tomorrow’s burden ~ today. Betrayal ushers in a mountain of hurt and I can wonder how I’ll cope as each day unfolds. I must take a day at a time, realizing that my Father’s ‘manna of grace’ is available everyday as I need it. Just as God helped His Son not only survive, but also forgive the ones who rejected Him, so He will supernaturally empower me to do the same. Those who commit such treacherous acts will never enjoy having the last word. Especially those who were responsible for the death of Jesus.

Your death, Jesus, proves to me that good can come out evil. Those who betrayed You thought they won, but they only positioned you on a cross that would bring about the redemption of mankind. In Jesus’ name, Amen.