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Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Lizada: Betrayals
By Rene Lizada
Papa's Table
FOR the past several weeks, I must admit that I have been thinking of what to write for this Holy Week. And for some reason, this phrase from Corinthians keeps coming back and I know that there must be something to it. There are moments like these when I know that there must be a message hidden somewhere and I know that I shall be guided, led to it, even.
Think about it for a moment. Jesus knew what was coming. He did not have the comfort of not knowing; he knew what he was going to go through. And yet if we read very closely the Bible passage, it is astonishing to see how He reacts to all that was facing Him.
He knew that he was going to be arrested, flogged, tortured, spat and jeered at, abandoned, denied, crowned with thorns, whipped to the point of his flesh being torn from His bones and finally, crucified. He knew that His friends would abandon Him. They would hide, cower in fear and tremble for their own survival. He knew that all these things would come to pass. He saw it coming and the human side of Him made him falter in His mission but the divine in Him made Him accept what was inevitable.
With all these thoughts and emotions swirling, we find Jesus in the Last Supper. And what is He doing? He is actually giving thanks. Not just for the bread that is about to be broken but He is actually being grateful for the moment that He spends with His friends -- the very same people who would leave Him at the hour where He would need them the most. Jesus is actually thanking everyone for the moment before hell breaks loose. This is how Jesus reacts to betrayal.
How do we react when we are betrayed? Betrayal is always painful because the ones who betray us are those close to us. Friends and family are the most likely persons who will blindside us with their hidden agenda and selfish purposes. Like the Pharisees they give us reasons, which are actually malicious motives.
They justify themselves with well-crafted alibis and yet those who are betrayed know the real reason for it. And the real tragedy is the ones who betray us know deep in their hearts what they have done. Yet they cloak themselves with justifications. Jesus was accused of being a rebel, a blasphemer and a radical to name a few. While the Pharisees deluded themselves as righteous.
When you are betrayed, people make up stories about you also. They use what they know about you and make false pretensions. They create stories and tell these to all they meet hoping that the lies they tell will become truth if you tell the lies long enough. The Pharisees made up stories to justify their actions. That is always the case with those who betray. The Pharisees went to the crowds and used their reputation to destroy the innocence of Christ. But Christ did not say anything.
And how did Jesus react to this betrayal? He gave thanks. He actually gave thanks. He did not keep evil thoughts of revenge. He did not rise in indignation. He actually just gave thanks. He forgave His betrayers and even healed one of His attackers.
How do we react when we are betrayed? We all have been betrayed and we know what it is like. Betrayal is something painful especially if it is done with intent and purpose. And it becomes more hurting when it is clothed in a spirit of deceit masquerading as goodness and truth. Like the betrayal of Jesus.
When we are betrayed we become bitter and vengeful. When we are betrayed we stand in disbelief at the act and the person. We simply cannot believe. Anger wells up from our hearts and revenge screams. We become absorbed with the pain and the sorrow and if we are not careful we become blind with our feelings. We are indignant and we scream for justice. That is how we react to betrayal.
Jesus reacted differently. He gave thanks. But the question is why. Why did He give thanks? Perhaps because He also saw where it would lead. Beyond the beatings and the torture, beyond the spit and blood, beyond freshly torn flesh and trembling nailed hands, He saw that it was the way to the fulfillment of His mission. He saw the pain but He also saw the triumph. He knew without a doubt that He would never be betrayed by His Father in heaven and His mother on earth. His friends may have abandoned Him but Jesus knew that His Father would never leave him alone. He did not just believe it He knew it. And in doing so, He understood the reason for the betrayal.
It is not easy to be betrayed. The pain is deep and it cuts. But ultimately we need to see beyond the pain to make sense of it. Jesus knew what the purpose of the cross was. He understood and saw the reason for the betrayal. Perhaps we should also take the lesson there. For us not to fall into the trap of betrayal's aftermath we need to open our eyes and see what is beyond the pain. Jesus humbled Himself. He even washed the feet of those who would flee from Him. Can we do that? Can we humble ourselves in the face of our betrayers? Can we see beyond the mist of pain and rise to see the reason? We can but we need to see the reason and to do that we must go beyond the pain. There is a reason for everything.
It is not easy. It never is. To better yourself, to go beyond what is expected of you is never easy. Only the strong can do that, only those who have been humbled can be humble. One cannot expect the arrogant and proud to go down on their knees and wash the feet of disciples. It is simply unheard for them to do that.
And in the end, at the Last Supper upon seeing the reason, Christ, in the face of betrayal not only gave thanks but also offered Himself as the sacrifice for humanity. He willingly surrendered all that He was for what we could be. The betrayal served the purpose of fulfilling the greatest act of love the world has ever known.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (April 12, 2006 issue)
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