Deadly Kiss
But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? (Lk. 22:48 KJV).
A kiss is a symbol of love, acceptance, and fellowship. The Bible calls this a “holy kiss” (Rom. 16:16), or “kiss of love” (1 Pet. 5:14). It is not referring to the romantic kiss between a husband and wife, but a kiss of friendship between brethren. Therefore, a kiss should bring togetherness and fellowship.
However, there is a different kind of kiss scripture refers to as “kisses of an enemy”, which “are deceitful” (Prov. 27:6). A deadly kiss hides hypocrisy, hatred, and bad intentions. Judas kissed Jesus as a signal to His captors, to identify their target. It was a kiss of death.
Not every kiss is the same. Be discerning. We live in a corrupted world, with many wolves putting on sheep’s clothing, as a means to accomplish their ulterior motives. I have heard horror stories of men who attended church under the cover of a sheep to find an undiscerning sister for marriage, whose eyes finally opened after she said “I do”.
The scripture cautions us to be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves. Christians must not be naïve, taking everything at face value. Our spiritual sensor of evil is the Holy Spirit. Deception is Satan’s master weapon. He has employed this strategy since the days of Adam and Eve. Do you know why? Because it works! Be sensitive to discern the brotherly kiss of love from the deadly kiss of the enemy.
MEDITATE
How was Judas’ kiss deceptive? What was his hidden agenda?
APPLY THE WORD
The purpose of this devotional is to draw our attention to the necessity of spiritual sensitivity. Do not take people simply based on what they say or portray to be. You don’t want to be cynical and suspicious, but be sensitive to the Spirit.
PRAY
Pray that God will keep you from the deception that is flooding the earth right now.
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