The Pain of Betrayal

King David wrote from the depth of a heart broken by the betrayal of a close friend when he said, “For it is not an enemy who taunts me-- then I could bear it; it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me-- then I could hide from him. But it is you, a man, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend. We used to take sweet counsel together; within God's house we walked in the throng. … My companion stretched out his hand against his friends; he violated his covenant. His speech was smooth as butter, yet war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.” (Psalms 55:12-14, 20-21). I have often wondered in the apostle Paul’s list of perils (2 Corinthians 11:24-27), if he didn’t save the worst for the last when he wrote, “in the peril of false brethren” (verse 26). Painful beyond description are such betrayals. Yet none are as great as what our Lord endured. Sadly I must recall my own betrayal of Him in the midst of those betrayals I have both suffered and may yet be called to suffer again. I must do right and focus, as King David did under such circumstances when he said, “Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” (Psalms 55:22) The truth is, we’ve been called to suffer for doing right—let us glory in such suffering with Paul as we depend on God for strength to do right (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). We can do no less, if we are going to let our light shine!

Considering the Steadfastness of Job

The New Testament writer exhorts his readers who are suffering to keep in mind the steadfastness (endurance/ patience) of Job (James 5:11). What is his point? If we consider both the similarities and the dissimilarities between Job and the recipients of James’s exhortation we find an answer. Job suffered innocently as did James’s readers. However, the readers were suffering under the hand of the rich and powerful (James 5:1-6). On the other hand, Job was a prosperous man (Job 29:12-17). However, he suffered not as a victim of the rich and powerful as James’s readers did but neither was he guilty as a rich man of perpetrating such oppression. It is here we establish one key difference in the respective sufferings of Job and James’s readers. Namely, those to whom James wrote could point to a cause for their suffering (rich and powerful). Job could not point to a cause for his suffering.

What we learn from James’s exhortation is that the greater challenge to our faith in suffering is not the suffering itself but, rather, our view and the judgments we make about it. Putting it simply, it is not what happens to us that messes us up; it is how we handle it that messes us up. When we consider the steadfastness (endurance/patience) of Job in suffering, we learn that suffering, whether we understand its causes or not, comes to rich and poor alike. To consider the steadfastness of Job is to understand that God provided for Job in his suffering the one thing he needed in order to endure. Namely, that God was there suffering with him. In other words, it was in Job’s suffering that he was made aware of God’s abiding presence. For this reason, Job came to know and see God in a compassionate and merciful way he never could have apart from his suffering (read Job 42:2-6, note especially verse 5). Consequently, James’s exhortation to his readers is this very point when he wrote: “Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.” (James 5:11).