A PIECE OF MY HEART...the meaning of a kiss

There are kisses -
and then there are kisses.

• There is the quick peck on the cheek from an adorable toddler - a kiss.
• There is the passionate embrace between a new husband and his bride at the altar - a kiss.

While kisses have different meanings, we mainly think of kisses in terms of affection or romance.

In Jesus' time, there was another kind of kiss: a kiss of greeting. Men in that culture would kiss each other on the cheek in the same way that we shake hands today. But there was even a different kind of kiss...

the kiss of Judas

His kiss was a kiss of betrayal. Judas had been a close companion of Jesus for three years. He walked and talked with Jesus, but evidently he did not follow Him. Whenever Judas saw that Jesus was not going to bring the political kingdom that he had hoped, Judas wanted out.

For just about four months worth of pay, Judas handed Jesus over to those who wanted to kill Him.

Betrayal by way of a kiss

PROVERBS 27:6 "Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy."

Betrayal stings like a knife, especially when a friend is responsible for the hurt. As much as Jesus had to have been hurt and disappointed with His friend Judas, He displayed the greatest example of how we can love and forgive those who are closest to us that betray us.

HAVE YOU BEEN BETRAYED BY A FRIEND?
possibly it feels like you have been kissed by the enemy.

MATTHEW 26:50 But Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?"

Even in the midst of being betrayed, Jesus reached out His hand to Judas and called him "friend". What an amazing act of mercy and love.

WHAT KIND OF KISSES HAVE YOU GIVEN TODAY?

kiss of love or kiss of betrayal?

And that is a piece of my heart today;