Betrayal Isn't Fair

It's natural to want our own way and predictable that we believe it's best if we get it. It all goes back to the desire for fairness. As children, we al, want what's fair and have to learn that life isn't always fair. We don't like this lesson, but it's a necessary one if we're to survive as mature adults. It isn't until later that we realize the corollary to "Life isn't fair." It's "Fir isn't usually fair."

Think about it. We see fairness through our own viewpoint, through a lens of self-interest, opinion, past occurrences and previous decisions. Is it fair I get snubbed by people I offer friendship to? They didn't see anything wrong with it, but hearing that they already had their friends hurt. My pastor, who believed we should have friends in the church and told us all that regularly, didn't want to be friends with us. But he was quick to recommend other people we could befriend.

Was that fair? I didn't think so. But is it fair to ask me to forgive them? They hurt me, deliberately, and thought it was okay. It still hurts.

But, how can I not forgive them? They didn't actually want to hurt me, but felt they had to do what was best for them. They had their sphere of friends and we weren't welcome and wouldn't fit in. They openly rejected us, after all the talk of how important friendship is, they said, in essence, : "You're not our kind of people, and we won't be friends with you."

That's how it was. We were betrayed and rejected over dinner at our house, and they didn't even know what it was they were doing.

Jesus, too, was rejected and betrayed by those He cared about. He, too, ate and drank with those who abandoned Him. He, too, saw those He trusted back away from Him and run to the safest place they could find. They willingly accepted everything Jesus gave them, until the cost to themselves became too great. They, along with the crowd calling for Jesus' death, were betrayer.

What did Jesus do? He said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." He forgave them and asked His Father to forgive them, too.

Jesus looked out upon the pitiless crowd, knowing the full horror of what lay before Him, and forgave them. Forgave them their selfishness for wanting Him to be a different kind of messiah, forgave them their anger and betrayal and bloodlust. Forgave their hatred and fear and jealousy.

He forgave them.

How can I do less?