The Far-Reaching Wounds of Betrayal

I have said it in just about each posting so far dealing with the pit of betrayal, but let me say it still again. No hurt goes deeper than the wounds caused by betrayal. And those wounds don't just affect the person on the receiving end of the betrayal. It affects others as well. A husband who betrays his wife hurts more people than just his wife. A friend who betrays a friend hurts more people than just his friend. And if you are a pastor that has felt the sting of betrayal, than you also know that the betrayal directed toward you has most likely hurt many other people as well.

Joseph's brothers pushing him into the pit of betrayal didn't just hurt Joseph. In Genesis 37:33-35, after Joseph's brothers killed a goat, sprinkled its blood on his coat, and gave it to their father to convince him that Joseph was dead when they really had sold him into slavery, the Bible says, "Then he (Jacob) examined it and said, 'It is my son's tunic. A wild beast has devoured him; Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!' So Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. Then all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said, 'Surely I will go down to Sheol in mourning for my son.' So his father wept for him."

If only we could catch a glimpse of the future before we pushed someone else into the pit of betrayal! Maybe if we could see the numbers of other people our act of betrayal will hurt, along side of the person who is the focus of our actions, we would think twice before acting. The wounds of betrayal are far-reaching. They affect more people than simply the person who gets pushed into the pit. That's another lesson we learn from the story of Joseph.

Be sure to read my other blog entitled "Folks, Listen" at www.folkslisten.blogspot.com. Feel free to leave a comment at this blog or email me directly at skdistler@gmail.com.