Three Sobering Words
Three words from a song that is sometimes sung during worship services seemed to jump off the page recently as I read them and sang them. Those three words are:
friendless – forsaken – betrayed
Here are those words in their immediate context:
Jesus is standing in Pilate’s hall —
Friendless, forsaken, betrayed by all
If you are familiar with the hymn, you already know that the overall message is a very penetrating question. The question really has three components:
- We are challenged to ask ourselves if the Lord would have been friendless, forsaken, and betrayed if I had been there.
- We are also challenged to ask ourselves what we will do with Jesus now.
- There is also the reminder that, one day, we will wonder (in the words of the song), “What will He do with me?”
As I sang the words recently, my mind went in two directions at once. First, I was reminded of what the Lord did for me. I have been alone. It is not a comfortable experience. I have also felt alone while being around a lot of people. Either I did not know them or I had nothing in common with them (or both), but, either way, that is also not enjoyable.
However, I don’t ever recall being all by myself in a group of hostile people. That is exactly where Jesus found himself “in Pilate’s hall.” He was, indeed, friendless, forsaken, and betrayed. He endured the charges and abuse without a “support staff,” anybody to encourage Him, or a friend to offer so much as a kind word.
As the song caused me to think about what my Lord did for me, I thought of something else. I thought about what He has challenged me to do. You can read that challenge in Matt. 25:31-46
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Do you see anybody in those verses who might be – or might feel – friendless, forsaken, and/or betrayed?
It is too late for me to ask myself what I would have done if I had been there when Jesus needed a friend. It is not too late for me to ask myself how well I am doing in serving Him by serving others.
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AUTHOR: Jim Faughn
