The blessing in betrayal




 

 

With Easter soon approaching I thought this might be an appropriate message for this week. It is an excerpt from my book, “The Art of Being.” For those of you who do not observe Easter, I invite you to seek the universal message of forgiveness in this writing. — Dennis Merritt Jones

“Easter is not complete without loving the one who made it possible—Judas. Forgiveness becomes possible when we transcend appearances and realize that those people who represent the Judases in our lives and those qualities within ourselves that seem to have betrayed us have been the divine process growing us into Christs. It’s all Love.” — Walter Starcke

There can be no doubt that Easter would be an entirely meaningless event if we didn’t somehow find a way to personalize it in our lives today and every day.

Perhaps the greatest lesson we can draw from the Easter story, which is often overshadowed by the principles of surrender, resurrection and eternal life, is the fact that Judas actually played an essential role.

Without the betrayal by Judas, the Easter story may have had a different ending.

While addressing the issue of forgiveness on several occasions, I recall hearing my friend Mary Morrissey say, “Before there could be a resurrection, there had to be a betrayal.”

What a powerful realization when it comes to forgiveness!

There are very few among us who have fully mastered the issue of forgiveness. Perhaps our personal resurrection, that is to say, our ability to be born anew to this day, free and clear of an unhealthy past, has been retarded by our attachment to resentment and nonforgiveness.

Is it really possible to see that those who have betrayed us were actually playing a necessary role in our spiritual growth and evolution?

That’s exactly what Jesus did with Judas. Jesus knew that betrayal by Judas was essential for his full ascension to Christhood.

Just imagine Jesus, during his trial before Pilate, saying, “I just can’t believe Judas did that to me . . . after all I did for him. How could he betray me? That dirty rotten rat, he’s hurt me deeply. I’m really mad, and I’ll never ever forgive him for what he has done to me.”

Of course, we can’t imagine that kind of a scene because Jesus knew only good could come from that betrayal; it opened the door to his own personal resurrection and the final healing of any sense of separation from God.

Forgiveness does that.

How about you? Is there any need for forgiveness in your life today?

First, have you ever betrayed yourself? Most of us have at some time or another. Perhaps that’s where forgiveness needs to start—with yourself.

Second, are you ready to rise above and transcend any attachment you have to what someone else may have done that they “shouldn’t have” and accept the idea that somehow they were playing an essential role in your own spiritual evolution?

This can be a tough one, and it will be impossible to accomplish if you insist on maintaining a victim consciousness.

Jesus never saw himself as a victim because he chose to see the blessing in the betrayal, and he knew that forgiveness was as necessary as the betrayal itself.

When you and I can have that same Christ perspective, we will discover that the one we haven’t forgiven in our heart is the one who will actually assist us the most in moving forward on our journey toward living fully in the light of God.

Bless the Judases in your life—it’s all Love.

Excerpted from “The Art of Being: 101 Ways to Practice Purpose in your Life.” Copyright 2008, Tarcher/Penguin Publishing, used by permission.


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