39 Sermon Illustrations on Betrayal

Legend fills up the silence of the Gospels concerning Judas. He is said to have been a foredoomed wretch, whose mother received warning of what he would be in a dream before his birth. To avoid this, his parents enclosed him in a chest, and flung him into the sea. The sea cast him upon the shore in the domain of a king and queen, who adopted him as their own son. Malignant from his birth, he killed a fosterbrother, fled to Judea, and became a page to Pontius Pilate. He commits many monstrous crimes, is at length filled with contrition and terror, and flies to Christ for peace. Thenceforward, the account agrees with the New- Testament narrative. After the betrayal, Despair comes, and offers him choice of weapons of destruction; when he chooses the rope, and hangs himself. At his death, his evil genius seizes the broken rope, and drags him down to the seething abyss below. At his approach, hell sends up a shout of joy; Lucifer smooths his pain-racked brow, and from his burning throne welcomes a greater sinner than himself.

TREACHERY, Reward of Philip, Duke of Austria, paid the ambassadors of Charles IV. (who had betrayed their trust) in counterfeit coin; whereof when they complained, it was answered, that false coin is good enough for false knaves. James I., King of Scotland, was murdered in Perth by Walter, Earl of Athol, in hope to have the crown; and crowned he was indeed, but with a crown of red-hot iron clapped upon his head, being one of the tortures wherewith he ended at once his wicked days and devices. And Guy Fawkes, that Spanish pioneer, should have received his reward of five hundred pounds at an appointed place in Surrey; but, instead thereof, he had been paid home with a brace of bullets for his good service, if justice had not come in with a halter by way of prevention. Thus traitors have always become odious, though the treason were commodious. Spencer.

Great article on principles of forgiveness.

I. Anxiety and relief.

A. Two anxieties face us.

1) Our unchangeable past.

2) Our unpredictable futures.

B. God's two answers.

1) God forgives our past.

2) God controls our future by keeping his promises.

C. We can share in this divine power by forgiving and promising.

1) Jewish philosopher Hannah Arendt concludes there is only

one remedy for the inevitability of history: forgiveness.

2) We are stuck with our past and its effects on us.

History cannot be escaped from, undone or changed.

II. What do we do when we forgive?

A. There are three stages in every act of forgiving.

1) Suffering.

a) Hurts that don't need to be forgiven:

1> Annoyances, defeats, and slights.

b) Hurts that do need forgiveness:

1> Acts of disloyalty.

A> Treats you as a stranger when you are a friend.

1: This assaults our identity.

B> Examples are adultery, reneging on promises.

2> Acts of betrayal.

A> Treats you as an enemy when you are a friend.

1: Comparison of Peter and Judas.

2) Spiritual surgery.

a) When you forgive someone, you slice away the wrong from

the person who did it.

1> He is remade in your memory.

2> You think of him not as the person who hurt you,

but as the person who needs you.

3> He himself is not changed, but you are.

b) This stage may be our limit.

1> Some we need to forgive are dead and gone.

2> Others do not want our forgiveness.

3) Starting over.

a) Reconciliation is the final act of forgiveness.

b) What is not forgiveness:

1> Forgiving is not forgetting.

2> Forgiving is not excusing.

3> Forgiving is not smoothing things over.

B. Only forgiveness can undo the hurt of history.

1) The grace to do it is from God.

2) The decision to do it is our own.

III. Why forgive?

A. Simon Wiesenthal's story of unforgiveness.

1) "Let the SS trooper go to hell," said one respondent.

2) Getting even, having contempt, seems like our only weapon.

B. Forgiveness is superhuman.

1) Forgiveness is a better way to fairness.

a) It creates a new possibility of fairness by releasing us

from the unfair past.

b) It brings fairness to the forgiver.

1> Refusing to forgive condemns us to more unfairness.

2) Vengeance is having a videotape planted in your soul that

cannot be turned off.

a) Forgiveness is the ONLY way back to fairness.

IV. How do we forgive?

A. We forgive slowly.

1) C.S. Lewis took years to forgive a cruel teacher.

B. We forgive communally.

1) Fellowship with those of similar pain can help.

C. We forgive as we are forgiven.

1) Anyone who forgives can hardly tell the difference between

feeling forgiven and doing the forgiving.

2) Example of Corrie ten Boom. [see #3037]

D. Our only escape from history's cruel unfairness, our only

passage to the future's creative possibilities, is the

miracle of forgiving.

Baretta Barker-Petersen works as a technician at a casino. Tony Gage works for the state highway maintenance department.

Both left such worldly pursuits aside Wednesday night, stepping into the town's annual living portrayal of Leonardo da Vinci's painting "The Last Supper."

Barker-Petersen grew a beard to play Jesus, while Gage sprayed his bald scalp black to tackle Judas. They were two of the 13 men who agreed to reproduce the image at a school auditorium.

The Eastertime program, organized by a local Protestant church each year since the early 1980s, reproduces da Vinci's image down to hair length, expression and gesture. Even the stripes on the tablecloth match the painting.

"It looks just like the picture except it's in 3-D," said Barbara Woese, who drove from nearby Merrifield and was in the crowd of 500. "I'm just awestruck."

The painting shows Jesus Christ and his 12 disciples eating before his crucifixion, portraying the dramatic moment when Jesus announced that one of the disciples would betray him. The performers hold the pose for two 90-second periods separated by a minute break.

"The first year I cried," said Gage, who has played Judas for eight years. "You're in such a trance when you're up there. You don't hear anything."

On Wednesday night, the audience cheered during the break but went silent again as the blue curtain reopened. When it was over, they applauded, and some hollered, and then they left for a reception with coffee and dessert.

The volunteer cast is recruited each year by Church of the Nazarene pastors Michael Lynch and Ruth Adams, who once followed a man into a lumberyard because she thought he had the right face to play Jesus.

Lynch thought many men in Brainerd resembled disciples in da Vinci's painting when he was new to this central Minnesota town 21 years ago. His decision to gather some for a living portrayal began a tradition here for Christian Holy Week.

But Lynch is leaving the church later this year and no one is sure whether a new minister will want to continue the event. A decision won't be made until the new minister arrives.

"It would be so disappointing if it ended," said Mary Cooley, who watched the annual tableau Wednesday night. "It's so incredible."

David Eades, a retired teacher who is the only person to perform in the tableau since the start, said no one on stage has ever coughed, sniffled or broken the pose. He said he maintains his pose by focusing on the beard of the man across the table from him.

"I bet I could hold it for five minutes," said Ken Franzen, a 71-year-old sheet metal worker who portrayed Thaddeus, the disciple da Vinci painted with one arm outstretched and the other cupped near his chest.

The church spends about $2,000 a year on the living portrayal, chiefly to rent the auditorium and costume the men. It doesn't charge admission.

"It was just so wonderful, so meaningful," said Vicki Hunnicutt, who drove 30 miles from Cross Lake for the event Wednesday night.

Adams said she thinks people are drawn to the event by both the mens' work and by the moment they portray. "Anyone in the audience can relate to that moment when they've betrayed Christ," she said.

TWO MEN were journeying together. One of them picked up an axe that

lay upon the path, and said, "I have found an axe." "Nay, my friend,"

replied the other, "do not say 'I,' but 'We' have found an axe." They

had not gone far before they saw the owner of the axe pursuing them,

and he who had picked up the axe said, "We are undone." "Nay,"

replied the other, "keep to your first mode of speech, my friend; what

you thought right then, think right now. Say 'I,' not 'We' are

undone."

Don't be surprised if your worldly friends should be the first ones to

betray you.

The following anecdote is by J. Wilbur Chapman:

"I was once a pastor at Schuylerville, New York, where on the Burgoyne surrender grounds stands a celebrated monument. It is beautiful to look upon. On one side of it in a niche is General Schuyler, and on the other side, if I remember correctly, General Gates; on the third, in the same sort of a niche, another distinguished general [General Daniel Morgan] is to be seen, but on the fourth the niche is vacant. When I asked the reason I was told that 'It is the niche which might have been filled by Benedict Arnold had he not been a traitor.'"

________

Adapted, and corrected, by David Holwick from an illustration in the sermon "Judas" by Rev. King Duncan, Seven Worlds Publishing, Kerux Sermon #23799

North of Albany is the site of the first significant American victory in the Revolutionary War, the battle of Saratoga. The field that was once covered with British and American blood now has a 155-foot monument.

Around the base of this monument are four deep niches, one for each of the American generals in the battle. The first holds a statue of Horatio Gates, the overall leader. Next is Philip Schuyler, whose statue faces the location of his house that the British burned. On the west is Daniel Morgan, whose marksmen blocked the British from that direction. Facing south toward the battlefield is an empty niche. No statue, no inscription.

He was actually the greatest hero of that battle and was severely wounded. He was a general who once commanded West Point. He had a distinguished career up until one decisive moment in his life -- the moment he decided to betray his country. His name? Benedict Arnold.

In the mind of every American the name of Benedict Arnold now stands for betrayal. Even in his birthplace at Norwich, Connecticut, the hand-written town record puts the phrase “was the traitor” after his name.[1]

But there is a traitor in human history who is more famous than Benedict Arnold. He did not betray a country, nor an army, nor even a town. He did something far worse - he betrayed his Savior.

[1] Norwich detail from "Beloved Hero and Despised Traitor," by Virginia Groark, The New York Times, April 21, 2002; .

________

From the website http://www.revolutionaryday.com/usroute4/schuylerville/default.htm

The Saratoga Monument commemorates the surrender of the British Army under the command of General John Burgoyne to General Horatio Gates, commander of the America forces on 17 October 1777 following the battles of Saratoga. The battles and subsequent surrender are considered a turning point in the American Revolution by leading to French support and the hope of ultimate victory. The monument was completed in 1887, and the fourth niche remains vacant to this day.

Emilio Castillo and Lonnie Vaughn put the phrase “together again” in a whole new light. The two men went to school together, worked together and were best friends. However, it was the working together that eventually separated them and then brought them together once again. And the work then and now are eons apart.

Castillo was born in Texas and moved to Oklahoma in 1966 as a migrant worker. He found success in the landscaping business, married, had a family and was a respected businessman in Bixby. “Everybody loved Emilio,” Vaughn said. “He had a heart for people, and they came to him for whatever they needed.” Vaughn, who married young and had a large family, was in the appliance business, reconditioning and reselling appliances.

Both men, however, were leading secret lives.

“I was an upstanding citizen and never caused a problem,” Castillo said. “But I had two faces.” Vaughn said his “secret” life really wasn't so secret. “When you're driving new cars and dressing to the hilt, everybody in your family knows the money isn't coming from the appliance business,” he said. Vaughn said during a period of eight years, he and Castillo put millions of dollars in their pockets. They were both involved in a successful drug ring, and Castillo was the kingpin of the operation.

“I got started in the drug business when I was about 32 years old,” Castillo said. “A farmer I worked for asked me if I could get drugs in Mexico.” Castillo said he knew how to get drugs out of Mexico, knew people on the Texas border and knew the underground. He said in Mexico, food was put around the drugs and sealed so it would never be opened at the checkpoint. Hispanic illegal aliens crossed the drugs over for Castillo. Vaughn often picked up the drugs in Dallas and brought them north.

“We told ourselves it was innocent,” Vaughn said. “We were only dealing in marijuana, and we knew if we got caught, we would just get probation.” However, it got to a point where there was a lot of anger among the 15-20 people involved in the operation because there was too much money flowing, and greed and suspicion of each other set in.

Castillo said he decided to give up the operation after a couple of their people were arrested. “When authorities start picking up people, they start snitching on others in the operation to get themselves off,” Vaughn said. “Emilio was the one they were after.” In the meantime the drug laws changed, and perpetrators were getting 10 years to life in prison.

When Vaughn was picked up, he admitted he was dealing in marijuana. “U.S. Customs, IRS, DEA and FBI all questioned me,” Vaughn said. “They asked about the Mexican man who was dealing in drugs. When I didn't tell them about Emilio, they let me go, but picked me up again.” This time, Vaughn said, authorities put up two hands and said, “This hand is your family and the other hand is Castillo. If you don't choose Castillo, you don't go home.” “I had always worked hard at getting people to have respect for me,” Vaughn said. “The authorities told me they had five people who had turned state's evidence against Emilio, but if I would admit his involvement, they had him.”

Castillo said he had a feeling he was going to get picked up because everything was going downhill and everyone was getting busted. “I knew when I was given indictment papers, that it was Lonnie who turned me in,” Castillo said. “I trusted Lonnie more than anyone in the group.”

Vaughn said it was six months between the time he fingered Castillo and authorities picked him up. “It was hard seeing him during that time,” Vaughn said. “I tried to avoid him.”

Castillo said he was tired of doing drugs, and almost felt at rest when he was taken to prison, but his first thought was that he wanted to kill Vaughn. “I wanted to kill him, put him in a refrigerator and send him down the Arkansas River,” Castillo said. “He was my best friend. I left a wife who didn't speak English, and four children. My wife started working two jobs to support the family, and sold tamales on the side.”

Because she didn't speak English, Castillo's wife had a rough time in the work force. Her children helped her learn English so she could get a better job. Castillo said she started studying an English Bible, although she didn't know it was a Bible, but she began to understand it and to explain it to her children.

Castillo, facing 10 years to life in prison, gave his life to Christ after a year of being incarcerated. “I got on my knees and said, 'God, I've always heard if I pray, you will hear,'“ Castillo recounted. “The next day, a pastor from Sallisaw came to the prison in Texarkana, Ark., and something told me to ask him about salvation.”

Soon afterwards, Castillo was transferred to the Fort Worth Medical Center, where ill prisoners are taken. Castillo said while he was in Texarkana, he was mad at Vaughn and the whole world. “I wanted to kill,” he said. “I didn't care who it was. Then I had a vision of people, all of them talking, but I could hear God above them, and He said I wouldn't serve all my time in prison.” Castillo served only four and a half years, which Vaughn said is unheard of.

Castillo said he didn't want to leave prison “because you have a better relationship with God in prison. I got to study the Bible seven days a week. If you listen to the Lord's Word while in prison, you can be trained.” He said while in prison, God taught him to forgive, and he wrote letters to everyone he had wanted to kill.

Vaughn said he thought about Castillo a lot, and even more about his family. “When they made me choose between my family and my best friend, that was the day my innocence was lost,” Vaughn said. “My best friend was separated from his family, my wife had stomach problems and I filed bankruptcy. I was paying for those eight years of success.”

When Castillo got out of prison, he went to Parkview Baptist Church in Tulsa, Okla., where Victor Orta was pastor of the church's Hispanic mission. Years before, Castillo had taunted Orta as he drove his pickup to preach to migrant workers. “I would come down the road, stop my car by his pickup and pull out a case of beer and stand there drinking it,” Castillo said. “But the Lord told me to call Victor, and when he found out I had accepted Jesus, he encouraged me to start a ministry in Bixby.”

Castillo, who had received training in prison to start churches, noted, “A lot of good things can happen in prison if you grasp them.” Castillo's family, however, was skeptical of his life-altering change; he said it was like his family didn't need him anymore. “It was like they expected me to come out of prison and do the things I had done before,” he said. “I told my wife that we might have to split up, but the next woman will get a better man than she did because I've changed.”

Castillo started New Beginnings Church in Bixby, and soon his wife and four children accepted Christ. In fact, 40 of Castillo's family members gave their lives to Christ.

Southern Hills Baptist Church in Tulsa began talking to Castillo about starting a Hispanic work there, and one Sunday pastor William Hester told the congregation at the end of the service that God was working on starting a mission there and that he had a prospect for the mission's pastor. In the congregation that Sunday was Lonnie Vaughn. Although he was saved when he was 9, it is obvious his lifestyle had kept him from church activities. “The whole time I was selling drugs, my five kids were attending Christian schools,” Vaughn said. “God covered me even when I was living that kind of lifestyle.”

Vaughn had started going to church about two years earlier, but always attended a big church so he could slip in and out without being noticed. This particular Sunday, he had come to Southern Hills because his brother was playing in the church's band. “I kept having dreams about Emilio,” Vaughn said. “The shame of what I'd done would hit me and I'd wake up. God was preparing me to meet Emilio. When the pastor mentioned the prospective Hispanic pastor at the end of the service, I knew who he was talking about.”

Vaughn said when the pastor asked the congregation to pray about what the church should do, God told Vaughn He was going to bring him and his wife to Southern Hills. “I would never have guessed what was happening in Emilio's life,” Vaughn admitted. “God said, 'I'm bringing you two back together.'“

Hester said Vaughn came up to him after the service and said he knew he was talking about Castillo, and wanted to meet with him and ask his forgiveness. “I told him that Emilio and I talked about the situation with Lonnie, and while Emilio was in prison, he forgave him,” Hester said.

“I realized how important I am to God,” Vaughn said. “He cared enough and knew how much I loved the guy. He brought us together and made our relationship stronger.”

Today, Castillo is pastor of Southern Hills' Hispanic mission and Vaughn is his assistant. The mission has baptized 42 people since its beginning on Sept. 10, 2000, and on a recent Sunday baptized 10. Attendance is around 75, and 60-70 percent have been saved less than a year. “Our church is not just about coming together,” Castillo said. “We go out and share what God has done in our lives.”

And that is a lot.

*

[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #4790]

It is almost impossible to turn on the news without hearing about what some have called the greatest crisis the Roman Catholic Church in America has ever faced. Almost daily, there are new reports and accusations of priests who have allegedly - and sometimes admittedly - abused children who trusted them.

The Genius who has brought peace and meaning to millions of lives over the years is Jesus Christ. Not Christianity. Not the Christian religion. Jesus. The great tragedy of seeing the failures of those who play Jesus' "music" imperfectly is that you can miss Jesus.

While the truth of each accusation is difficult to verify, there seems to be little doubt, even among the Church's top leadership, that the problem is real and the violation is grievous. For the millions of American Catholics who continue to love and trust their church, the recent revelations have evoked feelings that range from grief to anger. Sadly, in a world where it is getting harder and harder to know who to trust, these revelations only deepen our wounds from trust betrayed. From children who are betrayed by their parents to investors who watch their life savings evaporate to the religiously devoted who discover a spiritual leader has been a victimizer - trust is seriously damaged, if not permanently lost.

Today's headlines reporting spiritual failure happen to be about Roman Catholic priests. Only a few years ago, the headlines were about evangelical televangelists. And far too many of us know in our own personal world some "spiritual leader" who has fallen. For believers, it is like a kick in the stomach. For those who are already skeptical about Christianity, it is just another reason not to believe.

It may be that somewhere along the way you've been burned by religion ... hurt or disillusioned by religion or religious people. Or maybe, as a spiritual seeker, you've watched the inconsistencies and hypocrisies of those who claim the label "Christian," and you've pretty much decided to keep your distance from what they believe.

The kind of experiences you've had might be likened to attending a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony performed by the local junior high band. Let's assume you know little or nothing about Beethoven, but I keep telling you that he was a genius and his music spectacular. After hearing the squeaking and squawking of 11-year-olds playing Beethoven, I can imagine you saying, "Forget this Beethoven guy and his music!" Of course, the problem is not Beethoven - it's how that band performed what he wrote. The composer is still a genius - don't judge him by people who don't play his music very well.

The Genius who has brought peace and meaning to millions of lives over the years is Jesus Christ. Not Christianity. Not the Christian religion. Jesus. The great tragedy of seeing the failures of those who play Jesus' "music" imperfectly is that you can miss Jesus. And He is too good to miss. And the cost of missing Him is much too expensive to pay.

Everywhere Jesus went, He continually extended a two-word invitation to people - "Follow Me." (Mark 1:16) He didn't say "Follow My religion" or "Follow My leaders." Nor did He say, "Follow My followers" or even "Follow My rules." He said, "Follow Me." Christians aren't the issue. Christianity isn't the issue. The Church isn't the issue. It's all about Jesus. And our fulfillment in this life and our heaven after this life is all about Jesus - and what we do with Him.

The world's best-selling book, the Bible, spells out the central reason you and I were born - the ultimate meaning of the life God gave us. Speaking of Jesus, the Bible says, "All things were created by Him and for Him." (Colossians 1:16) You were created by Jesus ... you were created for Jesus - and you're going to have an "unfillable" hole in your heart until you have Jesus. You've had a lot of relationships ... you've had a few achievements ... you've tried a lot of experiences - but your heart is still whispering, "Something's missing."

Actually, the something is Someone. The reason we need Jesus so much is because we have basically missed the reason we were created. We were created to live for our Creator, and we've lived for ourselves instead. Created for Him - living for me. Consequently, we have made choice after choice that has knowingly or unknowingly defied God and His plans for us. That's serious business because all of our sins, have in the Bible's words, "separated you from your God." (Isaiah 59:2)

Because our sin carries an eternal death penalty, you and I have no way to get to heaven on our own. But it isn't a minister or a priest we need. They're sinners, just like us. And no religion or ritual can pay a spiritual death penalty. That can only be paid by someone dying. And that is what Jesus - God's one and only Son - came to do. To die so we don't have to. To remove the wall that has separated us from our Creator for our whole life.

In God's own words, "This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." (I John 4:10 - emphasis added) When Jesus was dying on the cross, He was paying for every wrong thing you've ever done - so you could be forgiven and clean in God's eyes. And so you could go to the heaven you could never deserve rather than the hell we all deserve.

That's why it is so tragic to miss Jesus. Christianity the system and Christianity the religion have sometimes wounded people and let people down. But Jesus never has. And He is the issue. For now. Forever.

If you've never experienced the love and the peace of a personal relationship with Jesus, the hole in your heart could be filled by Him this very day. If you'll give yourself to this Man who gave Himself for you. Just tell Him...

"Jesus, I'm Yours, beginning right here and right now. I'm done running a life You were supposed to run. You died for my sins, and I'm trusting You and You alone to forgive my sins and take me to heaven when I die."

In a world where trust has been broken so many times, Jesus is the one safe place for your searching heart. He died for you. He will never do you wrong.

________________

Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc., PO Box 400, Harrison, AR 72602. Used by permission. Written by Ron Hutchcraft. 'Practical Answers to Real Life Issues'

*

“At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at that ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ... 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'“ Mark 15:33-34

When Jesus was hanging on the cross for my sins and yours, he uttered some of the most gut-wrenching words in history. “My God, why have you forsaken me?”

Betrayal by friends, public humiliation, injustice, and pain caused him not to whisper meekly but to cry out loudly to the One who until now had been his constant companion and protector.

While comparing our struggles to Jesus' seems almost sacrilege, there are some parallels. Most of us have uttered similar frustrations to God during the dark days of financial strain, divorce, illness, loneliness, single parenting, betrayal, and pain. These troubles seem trivial next to Jesus' pain, but the despair is just as real. And these emotions matter to our all-knowing, ever-loving God. Unfortunately, we often allow our problems to obscure God's attempts to be our comfort and companion. When that happens, we often accuse him of abandoning us.

My own struggles have been no exception. Years ago I suffered a bout with mild depression. I would burst into tears for no apparent reason. As a believer in Christ, I knew I had the ultimate hope of eternal life in heaven - but somehow that didn't quench my hollowness and despair. I felt so distraught and alone all I could muster was a feeble, “God, where are you? Please help.”

That's why I need Easter. It's an annual reminder that the only time God ever left anyone alone — his Son on the cross — was so that none of us would ever be alone again. Jesus paved the way for us to have a close, constant relationship with our Maker — which we all desperately need, whether we know it or not. Those of us who believe in Jesus are never alone no matter what. Praise God!

I wish Jesus wouldn't have had to go through the excruciating pain of carrying my sins and feeling abandoned by God. But the truth is, I needed him to.

And I wish I could remember God is always with me — even when I don't feel him with me or when the pain of this world obscures his presence. But in reality I need constant reminders that he's always offering his presence, comfort, guidance, and hope to me — to all of us.

This Easter may we all rejoice in our risen Savior — and in the God who never, ever leaves us.

__________

Copyright © 2000 ChristianityToday.com

*

Luke 22:39–71 – The Passion Week (6) — Arrested « Leader information shown in this fashion »

A. Going to the Mount of Olives, Luke 22:39 Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him.

1. Matthew (26:30, 36) and Mark (14:26, 32) are likewise brief, and they add that the particular place to which Jesus came was the garden of Gethsemane (”Oil-pressing”); Matthew 26:36 (NKJV): Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.”

2. John covers in detail this brief summation in the first 3 gospels

a. the final words in the upper room, John 14, which end with Christ saying, “Arise, let us go hence”

b. then the words, probably on the road to Olivet, John 15–16,

c. and, finally, Christ’s high priestly prayer in John 17, spoken as they drew near to the garden of Gethsemane

d. concluded by the words parallel to the other Gospels, with John 18:1 (NKJV): When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered.

B. Agony — Luke 22:40–46 (NKJV; parallels, Matthew 26:37–46, Mark 33–42): 40 When He came to the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” 43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 45 When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow. 46 Then He said to them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation.”

1. Matthew (Mark similar) introduces this with 26:37–38 (NKJV): 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”

a. who are the two sons of Zebedee (they were also sons of thunder!)? « — James and John »

b. Jesus is probably quoting from Psalm 42 and 43 (which may have originally been one Psalm in the Hebrew scriptures)

(A) in what words in those Psalm could Jesus have been taking comfort? « — 42:5–6, 11, 43:5 »

2. only Luke tells us about

a. the agony of the Lord Jesus in prayer « (only here, only Jesus) »

b. the angel coming to strengthen Jesus

c. Jesus’ being so intensely in prayer that His sweat ran down like drops of blood

d. if, as seems the case, Luke was a doctor, why would these details be important to him?

(A) the Father knew « the impact on Jesus, the Son of God, becoming the Sin-Bearer and sent the angel »

(B) the true « humanity of the Christ and the physical effect of His supplication to the Father »

3. to what does the cup have reference (eg., see Isaiah 51:17) « — the wrath of God in judgment (2 Corinthians 5:21, Mark 14:34) »

4. what repeated warning is given to the disciples? « — pray to be protected from temptation »

a. why (see Matthew 26:41 or Mark 14:38)? « — the impact of our physical weakness on our spiritual desires (Psalm 103:14, Romans 7:18–23) »

b. what do we learn respectively of Jesus? … of the disciples? … in these verses.

5. Matthew and Mark tells us that

a. in praying, Jesus “fell to the ground” or “fell on His face” (the normal Jewish posture for prayer was standing) — what would this indicate? « — all of Jesus’ strength was involved in His carrying on this prayer »

b. Jesus’ prayer was repeated three times, with Jesus returning each time to find the disciples sleeping

c. that the prayer meeting concluded with Jesus words (Mark 14:41–42, NKJV): 41 Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”

C. Betrayal — Luke 22:47–53 (NKJV; parallels, Matthew 26:47–56, Mark 14:43–53, John 18:2–12): 47 And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him. 48 But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” 49 When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” 50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51 But Jesus answered and said, “Permit even this.” And He touched his ear and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs? 53 When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”

1. who struck the servant’s ear (John 18:10)? « — Peter »

2. “permit even this” — ie., “no sword-fight, let them have their way”

3. David probably wrote Psalm 41:9 describing Ahithophel but how does Jesus apply it in John 13:18? … how is that emphasized here? « — Jesus applies it to the betrayer; the very betrayal is committed by a token of friendship … a kiss (Mt/Mk Gk “kissed Him much”) »

4. in the midst of treachery, what do you learn of Jesus?

a. to Judas: « a gentle, sad rebuke; another chance to repent; Mark and Matthew tell us Judas called Jesus “Rabbi” and Jesus addresses Judas as “friend” in Matthew »

b. to disciples (see Matthew 26:52–54): « no swords! Jesus is in full control and fulfilling the plan of the ages (also see John 18:11) »

c. to the Malchus the bond-servant: « healing care »

d. to the rulers: « a judicial assessment of actions and character as well as the insight as to their root cause »

5. we are told that at this time all of his disciples fled

D. Mistrial — Luke 22:54, 66–70 (NKJV; parallels, see below): 54 Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest’s house. But Peter followed at a distance. …… 66 As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, 67 “If You are the Christ, tell us.” But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will by no means believe. 68 And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go. 69 Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God.” 70 Then they all said, “Are You then the Son of God?” So He said to them, “You rightly say that I am.” 71 And they said, “What further testimony do we need? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.”

1. brought first to Annas, the former high priest, John 18:12-14, 19–23

2. brought to Caiaphas, the son-in-law of Annas, and the current high priest where he was examined

a. first by the chief priests and council (the Sanhedrin) Matthew 16:59–61, Mark 55–59)

b. then by Caiaphas (Matthew 16:62–66, Mark 14:60–64), before whom were brought various false witnesses whose evidence was insufficient; it was only when Jesus answered the question, Matthew 26:63–64 (NKJV): 63 … And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!” 64 Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” that …

c. Caiaphas pronounced his judgment, “Look, now you have heard His B « lasphemy » ____________! What do you think?”

d. the rest of the rulers pronounced his sentence, “He is deserving of D « eath » __________”

3. note the equivalence in meaning of the Son of M « an » _____ and the Son of G « od » _____ (see Psalm 110:1, Daniel 7:13)

4. this was followed by the formal trial at dawn which Luke records in 22:66-70 as cited above, which is referenced in Matthew 27:1 and Mark 15:1 which centres on the one claim by Jesus that they could grasp: His claim of equality with God

a. what did Jesus say concerning their trial

(A) they would « not listen objectively to His testimony »

(B) if He were « to ask them questions (refuting the testimony of their witnesses) they would not change their purpose »

5. Jesus trial was in two parts: the religious trial by the Jewish rulers which is outlined above, and the civil trial by the Roman rulers which is yet to come. These are worthy of detailed study from a legal perspective, which is something for you to pursue, but which we can summarize

a. Jesus’ trials reveals man’s I « njustice » __________ and is evidence of his U « nrighteousness » ________________ (or sinfulness)

b. but it is also the triumph of God’s J « ustice » __________ through which He R « edeemed » ______________ man from his sin

6. lest us return to two other events occurring earlier that night

E. Abuse — Luke 22:63–65 (NKJV; parallels Matthew 26:27–28, Mark 14:65): 63 Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. 64 And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, “Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?” 65 And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.

1. this was probably a combination of the palace guard and of some conscripted Roman soldiers

2. how did they view Jesus? « — merely as someone who could be the brunt of their rough humour »

F. Denial — Luke 22:55–62 (NKJV; parallels, Matthew 26:58, 69–75; Mark 14:54, 66-72; John 18:15–18, 25–27): 55 Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. 56 And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, “This man was also with Him.” 57 But he denied Him, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.” 58 And after a little while another saw him and said, “You also are of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” 59 Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, “Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly.

1. each gospel writer records different details, with differing links to the surrounding events; but there are clearly three denials which are spaced out over the period of Jesus’ “trial”

2. contrast Peter in the garden with Peter in the courtyard « — there he would fight, here a slave girl frightens him »

3. of what would Jesus’ look remind Peter? « — Luke 22:33–34 »

Dr. Richard Batista, 49, and his wife, Dawnell, are getting a divorce. She filed the action, but the Long Island, N.Y., doctor has a demand too: he wants his kidney back. He donated it to her for a transplant eight years ago and, if he can’t have it back, he demands $1.5 million instead.

“I saved her life” by giving her one of his kidneys, he told reporters. “There’s no deeper pain you can ever express than to be betrayed by the person you devoted your life to,” he said, alleging Dawnell was unfaithful to him with her physical therapist. “It put a hole in my heart that still exists.”

________

New York Daily News

________

Postscript - the judge didn't buy it. Suffolk County Special Referee Jeffrey Grob declared in a 10-page ruling, "At its core, the defendant's claim inappropriately equates human organs with commodities." Grob cited state law making it a felony for people to give or take money for a human organ. See .

Have you ever heard the story about Tony Toto, of Allentown, Pennsylvania? He operated a pizza parlor there. Tony Toto survived at least 5 attempts on his life, all arranged for or carried out by his wife, Frances, and her lover.

Twice she arranged for assailants to beat him over the head with baseball bats.

On one occasion she put a tripwire across the basement stairs in their house, hoping that he would trip over it and plummet to his death.

Twice she arranged for him to be shot. The first time she drugged his chicken soup so he would sleep soundly, and he was shot in the head, but miraculously survived. The second time he was shot in the chest, but only sustained minor injuries.

Even more miraculous than Tony’s survival was his attitude toward his wife once he found out she was responsible for all of this. Tony, a self-confessed lady’s man himself, said that he held his wife blameless. When she was found guilty and sent to prison for arranging for his murder, he took their 4 children and visited her every week. Then when she was released from prison, she went back to their red brick home to resume her married life with Tony.

With his arm around her, Tony said in an interview, “We’re more in love now than ever before. I don’t understand why people break up over silly little things.”

Now Tony is probably certifiable, but if someone can get through that, don’t you think you can get through your darkroom of marriage?

=================

UPDATE:

“We have been blessed that we had all these years,” says Tony Toto of his 57-year marriage to Frances. Though “there was that one time when we had a rough time.”

That was in 1983, when Frances, in response to his having multiple affairs, hired someone to kill him. They owned a pizza shop, and she hired teens from there to shoot him — after poisoning him had failed, as well as blowing up his car. The hit men did better when they shot him. “Twice, one in the back of my head,” he remembers, “and one of the bullets went right through my chest.” But that, obviously, didn’t kill him either.

“I don’t think I was thinking straight,” allows Frances. “It was like, it was like a love-hate kind of a thing.”

When Tony got out of the hospital 12 days later, he bailed Frances out of jail — and the couple reconciled, though that was postponed for four years while Frances served prison time. Meanwhile, Hollywood made it into a movie, I Love You to Death. Kevin Kline played “Joey” (Tony); Tracey Ullman was “Rosalie” (Frances).

Now 40 years later, they are more happily married than ever — “love conquers all.”

________

RC/WFMZ Allentown PA

Quoted in "This Is True," issue 1497, 24 February 2023, by Randy Cassingham

She was weeping over the phone. Grief, anger and frustration were pouring out of her as she told me her latest news.

Her husband of over 30 years had left her for another woman. At one time he had been a deacon in their church, a respected spiritual leader. He had been a stellar dad, good friend of many and successful businessman with a good name. But his spiritual interests had evaporated over the past several years and his heart had grown cold. The divorce was acrimonious and drawn out, and she was beyond weary and devastated by it all.

But that wasn’t the cause of her current anguish. She had just heard that he had already married the other woman, been promoted in his job, was traveling on exotic trips and had even returned to church.

She was struggling with the age-old question: If he was so wrong to leave her, then why was his life going so well? She, on the other hand, was left to deal with brokenhearted children, financial stresses and the humiliation of it all. Where was God in all this? Why was his life going so well while hers was in such disarray?

As I listened, I was reminded of Psalm 73. Asaph, the author, asked the very same questions my friend was asking. She was, and is, living in Psalm 73. Look at the pattern:

In the first two verses, Asaph affirms his faith in God’s goodness but then confesses that his faith is faltering. He is troubled because he sees the wicked (unbelievers or unrepentant) living in ease, wealth and leisure. He can’t reconcile what he sees with what is taught in the Law -- the promises of blessings to the obedient and judgment on the disobedient.

Asaph then details his complaints (verses 4–12): He is envious of their “prosperity” (“shalom” in the Hebrew); they are healthy, problem-free, boastful of their possessions, thoroughly corrupt and have no mercy on the poor. And Asaph isn’t the only one troubled by all of this. God’s people are confused also, asking if He even notices what is happening in their world (verses 10–11.)

He takes his frustration a step further by asking: What good has it done him to keep an obedient heart? All he has is trouble and pain. If that’s not bad enough, he feels constrained to keep these observations to himself because he has influence with God’s people as a leader. By verse 16, he is ready to throw in the towel and be done with it all.

But the psalm abruptly pivots in verse 17, with a drastic change of focus. Asaph found himself in God’s “sanctuary,” which most likely was the Temple, the dwelling place of God’s glory. Temple worship consisted of reading the Law, singing, worship and prayer. What happened to him there? His heart was softened. His attention was drawn away from the wicked to the glory and majesty of God. His focus changed from “them” to himself and God. He was no longer contrasting the wicked with the good, but looking at God alone.

We can almost hear Asaph saying, “What was I thinking?” He confessed his bitterness, his foolishness, and recounted the spiritual blessings that were his “glorious destiny.” Verse 28 sums up his new perspective: How good it is to be near God! (NLT). Note that the psalmist ends up in the same place he began -- affirming the goodness of God.

My friend, just like Asaph, has discovered the life-giving mindset of being in “the sanctuary” -- being still and entering into God’s presence. Once there, her thinking is transformed and her spirit is made strong, just as Asaph’s was.

Occasionally I get a text from her, saying she has been in “the sanctuary.” Living in the psalm has carried my friend through dark days and is a continual source of strength for her. Watching her and learning from her faith struggle has sharpened me -- and driven me to Psalms time and time again.

There are more people than we know in our churches who struggle with injustices, just as my friend has. While their issues may not be marriage-related, the principle is the same. Turning our eyes toward God and off of others brings us a fresh assurance of His presence and eternal graces toward those who trust Him and seek to live in His sanctuary.

Final sermon in 2 Timothy series. 2 Timothy 4:9-22

COME BEFORE WINTER

I. Reaching rock bottom.

A. You never expect to be shot down.

B. Paul writes 2 Timothy under the same circumstances.

C. The Christian life is not always triumphant and glorious.

II. Paul's friends were few.

A. There were less of them.

B. Most of the friends he had were far away.

C. Paul's best friend was Luke.

D. How many friends do you have?

III. Some had hurt him.

A. At his trial he had been all alone. 4:16

B. Demas had deserted him. 4:10

C. Alexander the metalworker was an enemy. 4:14

D. Betrayal is painful.

IV. Paul wanted a few things.

V. God gave Paul strength. 4:17-18

Eighty-five years ago, as part of their campaign to collectivize Soviet agriculture, Stalin and his lackeys declared war on a group of peasants they dubbed “kulaks.”

Officially at least, a “kulak” was a so-called “rich peasant.” So-called, because in a village where most people owned a single cow, the man with two was regarded as “rich.”

In reality, “kulak,” as historian Orlando Figes has documented, was a catch-all phrase applied to every rural resident perceived as obstructing the re-creation of Russian rural society along Bolshevik lines.

The definition of obstruction was as arbitrary and hazy as the definition of “rich.” Often, all it took to be labeled a “kulak” and sent to the Gulag was a denunciation by a jealous neighbor and/or local ne’er-do-well turned party hack.

That’s exactly what happened to Nikolai Golovin and his family in 1930. Nikolai was a respected leader in the village and, by any measure, an upright Soviet citizen. That meant nothing when he was denounced as a “kulak” by Kolia Kuzmin, a ne’er-do-well turned Communist Youth League leader.

Adding insult to the substantial, life-changing injury he was about to suffer — suffering that included the murder of his brother, Ivan — was that Golovin had gone out of his way to help Kuzmin, the son of an alcoholic and abusive father. Kuzmin had often stayed in his home, and Golovin had given him a job out of pity for his situation.

None of that mattered. Like other “enemies of the state,” the Golovins were given hours to gather their belongings and were sent into exile. What the family endured is the subject of Figes’ book, “The Whisperers: Private Life in Stalin’s Russia.” It was suffering on a level that is almost impossible to imagine.

Given his monumental betrayal, you’d kind of hope that Kuzmin would have eventually had to pay for his treachery. Well, he did, but not in the way you might imagine.

After Stalin’s death, when virtually all of the surviving exiled “kulaks” were released, Kuzmin went looking for the Golovins to ask for their forgiveness. This in itself was extraordinary: In the post-Stalin USSR, most persecutors and functionaries clung to the “following orders” defense or pretended that nothing had happened.

Even more extraordinary was the Golovins’ response: They forgave Kuzmin. They did it for the same reason they had helped him out years before, their Christian faith. As Nikolai’s wife, Yevdokiia, told their incredulous daughter, “a truly Christian person should forgive his enemies.”

They not only forgave Kuzmin, they made him an integral part of their lives. He moved in next door. He ran errands for them and they went to church together on Sundays. When Kuzmin died in 1970, he was buried alongside the Golovins, where their bodies await the resurrection of the dead together.

At that time, Jesus’ kingdom will be visible to all. But to those with eyes to see, it was visible in a tiny town in northwest Russia. There, the kind of forgiveness and reconciliation made possible by Jesus’ death and resurrection was on display.

Soviet efforts to create a new “Soviet man” brought death and despair — injuries from which the lands under their rule are still recovering. But the Golovins bore witness to the new creation made possible by Jesus’ death and resurrection.

That’s why Kuzmin was repaid for his treachery with forgiveness and grace. And it’s why we should go and do likewise.

________

Copyright (c) 2013 Prison Fellowship Ministries. Reprinted with permission. "BreakPoint" is a radio ministry of Prison Fellowship Ministries.

How John D. Rockefeller was taught to trust people:

"Perhaps out of a self-protective instinct, Bill [Rockefeller's father] taught his children to be wary of strangers and even of himself. When John was a child, Bill would urge him to leap from his high chair into his waiting arms. One day, he dropped his arms, letting his astonished son crash to the floor. "Remember," Bill lectured him, "never trust anyone completely, not even me."

Two South African brothers from a small village went to a private school. One was successful, strong, smart; other was plain and a hunchback, but had a beautiful voice. During initiations the students forced the plain one to sing by threatening to drown him. When he sang so beautifully in his fear, they became all the more abusive and tore off his shirt to reveal his never-before- seen hunchback. Older brother knew what was going on but did not help. He betrayed his brother by refusing to go out to him in love when he was being abused.

The brother was crushed in spirit and never sang again. Older brother went to Palestine in WWII, was wounded, had a dream. He saw himself as Judas in the circle of disciples around Christ. "I am Judas; I had a brother once, and I betrayed him," he said. "Go to your brother," Christ replied.

He made the difficult journey, confessed to his brother, both cried. As he walked away he heard the song of his brother in the garden, as he had not heard him sing since childhood.

Jesus tells us to go and be reconciled with our brother. This is the true meaning of forgiveness, not inner peace or a clean conscience. These are self-centered goals. We must care for the pain in the other person. Until relationships are restored, forgiveness is not really achieved.

Authentic forgiveness is the mutual recognition that repentance is genuine and right relationships are achieved.

She sat in my office and tearfully told me she was leaving seminary to go fight for her marriage. This promising student, let’s call her Shari, had discovered her husband was the epitome of unfaithfulness. The details are not important other than to say it involved adultery, deceit, an unplanned pregnancy and a wounding that cut to the core of her being.

And yet, she wanted to fight.

As I heard Shari’s story, I applauded and encouraged her decision. At the same time, I knew that many would not blame her, some would even encourage her, if she walked away from her 15-year marriage.

We all know marriages where adultery has occurred. We have watched television couples who profess to be Christians as they dealt with adultery. And many, even those in the church, are astonished when the first response is not to walk away from the marriage.

Marriage is a sacred union with a purpose greater than the bride and groom vowing to one another. God did not institute marriage only for the pleasure and procreation of humans. It was created also to be a visible representation of the relationship Jesus has with the people of God. When a man and woman stand before God and enter into a covenant relationship, it teaches us about our relationship to God like none other.

The apostle Paul unpacks this for us in Ephesians 5:22-31. These verses, which conclude the fifth chapter of Ephesians, are part of the continuation of the command in verse 1 to “Be imitators of God”:

Verses 22-24 -- “Wives submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord....” The phrase “as to the Lord” in connection with the remaining verses sets marriage as a reflection of the relationship between Christ and the church. That puts a whole new meaning and purpose to submission and to marriage in general. Submission is not just a good idea or even step one in “seven steps to a happy marriage.” It is much loftier than that. The biblical model of marriage places wives as a picture that parallels the relationship of the church to Christ.

Verses 25-31 -- “Husbands love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her....” The love of a husband is to be a sacrificial love that imitates the sacrificial love of Christ for us. But even further, note that Paul goes on to speak about the one-flesh relationship. Marriage brings men and women into such an intimate relationship that it is as if they have become a single person. A husband does not wish to hurt his own flesh and thus does not wish to hurt his wife because she is “bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh.” Just as the wife reflects the relationship of the church to Christ, so too does the husband. Christ loves the church because the church is, in fact, His body.

It is easy to embrace this higher purpose for marriage when the picture is bright, happy and colorful. But what happens when it becomes difficult and painful? Should a believer divorce her spouse solely because he has been unfaithful? Let’s look at this through the lens of the purposes for which marriage was created.

Any believer initiating divorce, even in the case of an adulterous spouse, paints a picture of God walking away from His faithless Bride. Shari could have chosen to initiate divorce from her husband, since the man with whom she entered into a covenant relationship violated that covenant. Many biblically-faithful Christians would counsel that God would allow her to do so because of what is called by some the “exception clause” based on Matthew 19. But Shari chose a different path. It is noteworthy that Jesus says that the reason Moses provided for divorce was “because of the hardness of your hearts.” It was granted as an option, not an expectation, and was predicated on Israel’s sinful heart. The purpose and permanence of marriage was established from the time Adam and Eve were created, as Jesus made crystal clear in the text. God does not compromise His principles nor lower His standards because of the sins of His children.

Sin may distort but it does not transform the greater purpose of marriage. It is always meant to proclaim the Gospel -- the whole Gospel -- and adultery provides a powerful opportunity to do so.

Adultery provides a believing spouse the opportunity to show redeeming, unconditional love. Shari chose to stay and fight, waiting for her husband to return. She showed faithfulness in the midst of the unfaithful. And, through much prayer, work, counsel and support from godly mentors, in the end their marriage was restored.

You may be reading this, having fought, but still lost. This is not a magic remedy that heals all marriages. An offended spouse who chooses this path cannot be guaranteed a restored marriage. What can be guaranteed is this: If she loved, forgave, kept arms of redemption open in the midst of the pain and violation, and did nothing that closed the door for restoration, then she will stand before the Lord without regret for the choice she made. God will heal her hurts because she is His child. And He will completely forgive where she may have fallen.

We are called to forgive in the same way God has forgiven us.

We are called to love unconditionally in the same way God loves us without condition.

We are called to remain faithful in the midst of unfaithfulness in the same way God remains faithful to us when we are faithless.

We are called to remain bound to the covenant we made in the same way our covenants with God cannot be broken

Is it easy? Absolutely not! Is it possible? With God’s help, yes!

Shari’s story is not uncommon, but her response was. Perhaps, though, if this became the expected solution for the body of Christ instead of looking for “the exception,” marriages would be stronger, and the silent observers that we may never know will be reminded that there is a God who will never let us go, no matter what.

________

Terri Stovall is dean of women’s programs at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and coauthor of the book “Women Leading Women.” This article first appeared at the seminary’s BiblicalWoman.com website.

At Kerman, Persia, is a fortress called Galah i Doukhta, or the Fort of the Maiden, named after the beautiful traitoress of Kerman. When the Moslems laid siege to the city a daughter of the king, a beautiful woman and the idol of her father, fell madly in love with an Arab prince who was an officer among the invaders, and to win him found opportunity to deliver the castle into his hands. Curious to learn the motive of such treachery he asked the maiden why she had betrayed her father. “For love of you,” was the answer. The prince enraged at such guilt ordered his men to bind her with cords, face downward, on the back of a wild horse and turn horse and rider into the desert. So perished without pity the beautiful traitoress of Kerman--an example of remorseless retribution.

Dr. Richard Batista, 49, and his wife, Dawnell, are getting a divorce. She filed the action, but the Long Island, N.Y., doctor has a demand too: he wants his kidney back. He donated it to her for a transplant eight years ago and, if he can’t have it back, he demands $1.5 million instead.

“I saved her life” by giving her one of his kidneys, he told reporters. “There’s no deeper pain you can ever express than to be betrayed by the person you devoted your life to,” he said, alleging Dawnell was unfaithful to him with her physical therapist. “It put a hole in my heart that still exists.”

________

New York Daily News

________

Postscript - the judge didn't buy it. Suffolk County Special Referee Jeffrey Grob declared in a 10-page ruling, "At its core, the defendant's claim inappropriately equates human organs with commodities." Grob cited state law making it a felony for people to give or take money for a human organ. See .