Betrayed
(Matthew 26:2)

     Robert Emmet (1778-1803) was an Irish patriot whose goal was to drive the English out of Ireland. On July 23, 1803 he lead a botched uprising. He attempted to escape to America with his fiancée, Sara Curran, but was captured by the English on August 25th. Sara's father, John Curran, was a lawyer who had a law partner named Leonard MacNally. MacNally served as Robert's defense lawyer. On September 19th Emmet was tried and convicted of treason. The following day he was executed by a public hanging. Years later, upon MacNally's death, it was discovered that he had received regular payments from the British Secret Service. On the day of Emmet's arrest, MacNally had received an extra large payment of £1,000. The man Emmet had trusted to defend him had in fact betrayed him.
     Unlike Leonard MacNally, whose "words... were smoother than butter but hostility was in his heart" (Ps 55:21), Jesus will never betray you. He is "a friend who loveth at all times" (Prov 17:17). He "will never… forsake you" (Heb 13:5). Therefore "it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in... an unfaithful man" (Ps 118:9, Prov 25:19).