947) Betrayal is one of the most difficult emotions to deal with. It gives a pain that is horrendous and often becomes deep-rooted. It is not something that a person can just “snap out of.” Often accompanied with betrayal is shame and fear, easily leading to anger. These situations often leave the wounded reeling. Betrayal has a high price tag. Are these things the fruit of betrayal? Well, it’s the result for the one on the receiving end of it, but what about the one who caused it? Do they “get away” with what they have done? Let’s consider this.

Statistically, individuals who have cheated on their spouses and marry each other have a 95% chance that the marriage will fail. Churches that split over selfishness and self-importance rarely produce “good fruit.” Someone who betrays the trust of their employer can, at most, wind up in prison and, at least, earn a reputation of being untrustworthy. As you can tell, the fruit of betrayal is always bitter.

We read in Acts 1:18-19 of perhaps the most infamous betrayal in the Bible concerning Judas Iscariot’s turning against Jesus. Jesus said in Matthew 26:24 that it would have been better for Judas to have never been born. In the book of Acts, it tells us that Judas used the 30 pieces of silver to buy a field. What was he planning to do with it? Build a house? Set up a business? We don’t know but, evidently the guilt he carried around with him was so heavy, he winds up using a tree on the land he bought with the silver and hanged himself.

Fruit can be a wonderful thing, depending on what type of fruit it is. The fruit of betrayal never turns out to be good, no matter what it looks like to others.