Luke 22:47

Luke 22:47 says, And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him.  While Jesus was asking the disciples why they were sleeping instead of praying, Judas was busy getting ready to betray Him.  Even if we are not praying and doing what God has called us to do, we certainly don't need to betray Him.  Yet, anytime we fail to follow Jesus by faith and do what He has called us to do, are we not in effect betraying Him?  Verse forty-eight adds, But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?  Jesus asked Judas if he would betray the Son on man, Jesus Himself, with a kiss, a sign of devotion.  It is not enough for us to go through the motions of being intimately close to Jesus if we are just doing so while betraying Him by our thoughts.  Verse forty-nine states, When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?  When the other disciples saw what was happening, they asked Jesus if they should smite those there to arrest Him with the sword.  They were unable to stay awake while Jesus was praying, but now they were ready to physically defend Him.  If we are not spiritually in tune with God, we may take bold actions that we claim are for God, but they may not be what He wants us to do.  Verse fifty adds, And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.  From another gospel account, we know that it was Peter who cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest.  Peter was always ready to take bold actions while he thought Jesus was setting up an earthly kingdom.  Some Christians today seem more ready to defend earthly institutions than they are to pray and share God's word.  Verse fifty-one declares, And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.  Jesus told the disciples to quit fighting, and He restored the ear to the servant who had lost it.  We can never advance God's kingdom by the use of force, but can only do so by obediently obeying God's will for our life, and we certainly don't need to stop others from doing what God wants them to do, as the disciples were attempting to do in this case.  Verse fifty-two adds, Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves?  Jesus asked the chief priests why they came as thieves in the night with swords to arrest Him.  Had Jesus not been willing to go with them, they would not have been able to force Him, no matter how many there were of them, nor how well they were armed.  Jesus was not forced to go to the cross, but He went because it was the only way to salvation.  Verse fifty-three continues,  When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.  Jesus said that when He was in the temple that these religious leaders would have been able to arrest Him at any time, but they instead chose to come like a thief in the night to do so.  Jesus is not hidden away today, but can be found at anytime if we only seek Him.