Prov. 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.
Luke 22:48 And Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
The act of betrayal that is known as “The kiss in the garden” that Judas used to single out Jesus for the priests to arrest was not the first act of betrayal Judas was responsible for. He had been stealing money from the money bag far earlier in his walk with the apostles and Jesus. John 12:6 Judas did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money bag, he used to take from what was put into it. I suppose Jesus could have said, “Judas, are you betraying me again, but this time with a kiss?”
Like Judas, most people do not become base overnight. Habitual sin usually starts slowly, with a sense of getting away with something that seemed minor at the time. There was some conviction of heart at the time, but not any longer. Now the sin doesn’t even register on their conscience. What happened to these once honest people?
How did that man fall into adultery when things seemed so good at home? How did she get caught embezzling company funds when she seemed to have more than enough? How did he get so hooked on an addictive substance that he ended up sacrificing his life and family for it? When did the kiss in their garden betray their hearts?
It is interesting to note that Jesus was sweating blood for mankind, just before Judas came and betrayed Him. Luke 22:44 And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. The Lord had remained faithful to the salvation plan of God the Father. Jesus was in the act of giving Himself for all mankind, even when at the same time He was being set up for betrayal.
This kiss from Judas would have hurt indeed because it represented the callous, hateful, and corrupt state that man’s heart was in. Man needed salvation and there was no way to get it except through a willing Savior who said, ” Father, not my will but yours be done.”
When Jesus talks to us about sin in our lives, it may not feel good at the time but as the Proverb says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.” Jesus is our friend and He is trying to keep us from falling into the temptation that the kisses of an enemy will bring. John 15:15b I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
Sin will betray us every time. The result of the sin may vary and the consequence may take time to reach us, but our sins will always find us out. Num. 32:23 But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the LORD; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. This is why the Lord asks us to confess our sins so that we get rid of them and they have no hold on us whatsoever.
What if Judas had fessed up to taking money from the money bag? Would he have had a stronger resolve to resist the thirty pieces of silver the priests negotiated with him? Matt. 26:15 “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. Easy money had become the kiss that betrayed Judas and he paid for it with his life.
What have you been smooching with that may cause major damage to your soul and cripple your walk in this life just because the enemy’s kisses are titillating at this time? It may feel like a wound to us because the Lord is dealing with something in our life. However, the wounds of a friend heal fast because they come with the balm of Gilead that will give us all the victory through Christ.
The kisses of an enemy may seem sensually nice at the time but will carry a heartbreaking result that will leave people lonely, cold, and destitute of soul. Prov. 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy. Jesus is our friend and He will help us through our wounded times to come out as healed, loved, and strengthened. If there is to be a kiss in the garden, then let the Lord kiss us with His mercy and kindness so that we come forth as the righteousness of God through Christ our Lord. Blessings.
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