Jesus Christ was no stranger to betrayal. His very own disciple sold him to the chief priest for 30 pieces of silver coins. Most of us are familiar with Judas’ story, but he was not the only disciple who betrayed Jesus. Actually, all of the disciples left Jesus after He was arrested. At ang pinaka-matapang pa sa kanila, Si Peter (And the boldest of them all, Peter,) , who swore that he would lay his life for Jesus, nang magkagipitan na (when push came to shove), denied to people that he knew Jesus. He denied Jesus three times.
Imagine your best friend, the one you love the most, denying that he or she knows you. Di ba masakit yon (Isn't that painful)? How did Jesus respond to such an act of treachery? Did He zap Peter and the disciples out of existence? Far from it.
Imagine your best friend, the one you love the most, denying that he or she knows you. Di ba masakit yon (Isn't that painful)? How did Jesus respond to such an act of treachery? Did He zap Peter and the disciples out of existence? Far from it.
Photo: Let the "Pane" Remain (3-19-05)
A few days after Jesus resurrected from the dead, the disciples had already given up hope and were getting ready to go back to their old jobs as fishermen. They went out to fish the whole day but caught nothing. Wala silang nahuli ni dilis (Not even a fingerling).
Just as they were about to give up, Jesus appeared on the shore and told them to throw the net on the right side of the boat. And voila! They caught so much fish! 153 to be exact. That made them realize that the person who spoke to them from the shore was Jesus! Peter got so excited he jumped out of the boat and ran toward Him.
Kung ikaw, alam mong me atraso ka sa tao, syempre magdadalawang isip ka kung lalapit ka sa taong nasaktan mo (If you know you have wronged someone, it would be hard for you to approach the person you have offended). While Peter was running to Jesus, a million thoughts must have been running through his head. Thoughts like—Will He turn me away? Ano kayang parusa ang ipapataw sa akin (What hurtful words will I receive from Him)? Yet, when Peter reached shore, he saw that Jesus had actually prepared a meal for them. Nag-ihaw siya ng isda at may dala siyang tinapay para sa kanila (He cooked a simple meal of fish and bread for them). Instead of rebuking them for abandoning Him, Jesus asked his disciples to come and eat. That is how gracious and loving our God is.
All of us are sometimes like Peter and the rest of the disciples, we make wrong decisions, we commit mistakes, we sin. After that, we feel afraid to approach God, afraid how He might turn us away, or worse, punish us. But remember that Jesus died on the cross and rose to life so that we can have forgiveness of sins. Don’t run away from God. He is running towards you, not to punish you, but to bless you. All you have to do is to make a 180-degree turn from your sins and trust Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
At para sa mga taong na-betray ng mga kaibigan, asawa o magulang (And for those who have been betrayed by friends, spouses or parents), Jesus knows how you feel. Give your burden to Him, He cares a lot about what you are going through. Look to Him for help and He will empower you to forgive to those who hurt you just as Jesus did.
