Friendship Is Hard

I’ve mentioned many times in the past that I am a HUGE Star Wars fan. I’ve watched all the movies, TV shows, and even all the animated series. My favorite of all the movies is without a doubt The Empire Strikes Back. At a time when all movies ended with the good guys winning, this is the first movie I can remember where the bad guys came out on top, and a lot of that is due to one choice made by a friend turned betrayer.

The rebels had to escape the Empire’s attack on the frozen planet of Hoth. In the chaos of what was going on, Han Solo, along with Chewbacca, grabbed Princess Leia, C-3PO, and R2-D2, boarded the Millennium Falcon, and tried to evade the enemy’s fleet. Once they were finally able to get clear of danger, Han reached out to an old friend to find refuge from everything that was going on. That friend was a former smuggler, now baron administrator of Cloud City, Lando Calrissian.

As they arrive, Calrissian welcomes Han Solo and his friends with open arms after playing a prank on him. They are given the royal treatment, told that their ship will get needed repairs, and are invited to a huge feast to welcome them to this beautiful city that Lando now leads. However, as the door opens to the room where the feast will be held, none other than the evil dark lord of the Sith, Darth Vader, is sitting at the head of the table. It is here that we find out that Lando has betrayed his friend, who is being sold off to a bounty hunter and used as bait to lure in his friend, Luke Skywalker.

Betrayal is a common theme in books, movies, and TV shows. Nothing brings the ire of people more than someone turning on a friend. For many of us, we may never feel this kind of pain, but for those of us who have, it can sting worse than any pain. The loss of trust and feeling like you have to pull a knife out of your back can lead to the inability to really confide in a friend again. Many people have become closed off over the years due to the betrayal of someone close to them. Jesus understood friendship, and He understood betrayal.

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
John 13:1–5

When we read this, we see two things that really stand out about Jesus. First, he loves his friends to the end. His love for them wasn’t temporary or conditional. He loved completely and without end. It’s obvious that Jesus’ love for his friends is deep and powerful. It motivated Him to do something that you just didn’t do in the first century. He washed their feet. The second thing we notice here is that Jesus was a humble friend. He was willing to lower Himself to the level of a servant, in spite of the fact that He was the rabbi of these young men. Technically, they were there to serve Him, but He took on the role of a servant to show them what the love of a friend truly is. After washing their feet, Jesus taught them more. It was after this where we see Jesus face the reality of what is to come.

After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side, so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”
John 13:21–27

Jesus wasn’t just a spiritual being. He was human. He felt human emotion, dealt with human pain, and he had to endure human betrayal. This passage starts off with Jesus feeling troubled. He loved Judas. Judas was his friend. Unfortunately, He knew that Judas was about to turn on Him. Imagine the kind of pain you would feel if you knew the true thoughts of everyone around you. What would it feel like to know when people doubted you? How much would it hurt to know that someone you call “friend” would be willing to sell your life out for mere silver? This is the reality that Jesus lived in. He had been given knowledge from the Father that no one before Him had ever been given. He knew the outcome of the story before it had been told. In short order, everyone else would too.

While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him. Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him.
Matthew 26:47–50

Not only had Judas betrayed Jesus, but he also used something that is meant as a sign of affection as a means to turn on his friend. This was the ultimate slap in the face. He greeted Jesus as his rabbi, and in the same moment turned Him over to the authorities, knowing that this would mean the death of Him. A mere 30 pieces of silver was the cost for blindsiding a close friend and teacher. As we know, this set in motion a series of events that would eventually lead toward the worst and most beautiful event in the history of mankind.

It’s a shame that Jesus had to feel the sting of betrayal in order for God’s Will to be done. Jesus loved His friends. He gave everything for them. It’s sad that he wasn’t treated the same way. Unfortunately, he knew, like many of us know today, that friendship is hard.