And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came up, accompanied by a crowd with swords and clubs who were from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. Now he who was betraying Him had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; arrest Him and lead Him away under guard.” And after coming, Judas immediately went to Him and said, “Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

When we have been hurt and receive more pain or bad news on top, we call that “adding salt to the wound.” Salt added to a literal wound introduces a new level of pain. When Judas betrayed Jesus, he used a sign of affection to initiate his betrayal. While his outward actions showed tenderness toward Jesus, his heart was far from Him. Such a moment of betrayal was already painful to Jesus, but this added salt to the wound.

We often wonder of Judas, “How could he?” It is easy judge the one who betrayed Jesus as if we have nothing in common. Yet, as terrible as his actions were, we can see the path he took there. Judas was respectable toward Jesus and followed Him but never allowed conviction or change to set into his heart. He lived doing things with Jesus and even for Jesus, but he was never surrendered to Jesus. With his eyes fixed on temporary things, he denied the One he followed for years. We too can fall into this way of life, attending events and activities all about Jesus and even doing things for Jesus with hearts that are far from Him. No matter our actions, He knows our hearts. He is not calling us for external perfection but internal submission and love.

• What is your relationship with Jesus like right now? How does it appear on the outside?
• What are some ways we betray Jesus today? Which one of those is most convicting for you?
• Pray and be honest with God about where you are in relationship with Him. Tell Him how you would like to grow and ask for His help.