“So he went right up to Jesus and said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ and kissed Him.” Matthew 26:49 (HCSB)
The kiss is a very intimate form of communication. And there are different sorts of kisses. There are kisses on the hand, kisses on the cheek and kisses on the lips. The bride longs for the kisses of the groom (Song 1:2), while the wounds of a friend are more trusted than the multiple kisses of an enemy (Proverbs 27:6). In Psalms we are instructed to kiss the Son to turn away His anger (Psalm 2:12). And we are told to greet one another with a holy kiss (2 Corinthians 13:12). A woman who had lived a sinful life came into a gathering where Jesus was at and poured perfume on His feet, wetting them with her tears, wiping them with her hair and kissing them with her lips (Luke 7:37-38). But probably the most painful kiss is the one coming from someone close, as a kiss of betrayal (Matthew 26:49). Those whom we love the dearest have the power to hurt us the deepest!
After pouring out His heart in Gethsemane and sweating great drops of blood (Luke 22:44), Jesus faced His betrayer, one whom had been trusted even with the disciples funds, that is, the money bag (John 13:29). There in the garden, Judas approached Jesus and betrayed the Son of God with a kiss!
Ask God to stir a longing in your heart for His kisses. Like the bride in Song 1:2, may your desire be for the kisses of His mouth! May the Holy Spirit stir up a greater level of intimacy in your relationship with Jesus! Also ask God to heal you where you’ve been the recipient of the kiss of betrayal. Ask Him to cleanse you where you have been involved in unholy kisses! Ask Him to restore the purity and the innocence of your lips. Ask Him how to use your lips as an extravagant offering of love to Him! Pray that for your pastor as well!
