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Psalm 41:4-9

Psalm 41:4 I said, “Yahveh, be gracious to me; heal my soul, because I have sinned against you.”

Psalm 41:5 My enemies speak maliciously about me: “When will he die and be forgotten?”

Psalm 41:6 When one of them comes to visit, he speaks deceitfully; he stores up evil in his heart; he goes out and talks.

Psalm 41:7 All who hate me whisper together about me; they plan to harm me.

Psalm 41:8 “Something awful has overwhelmed him, and he won’t rise again from where he lies!”

Psalm 41:9 Even my friend in whom I trusted, one who ate my bread, has raised his heel against me.

when misery hates company

It is said that misery loves company, but not when the company consists of false friends who secretly want you dead. David felt that kind of conspiratorial betrayal. Like Job’s miserable comforters,¹ these visitors only made things worse. Jesus knew that he would experience the same thing at the hands of Judas.² His last supper with his disciples must have been an ordeal for him.

David was rescued from those who sought to betray and murder him. But Jesus accepted his fate, because only through the cross could he rescue all of us from the wages we all deserve as sinners — death.

Lord, if we should ever feel victims of conspiratorial betrayal, remind us that we are taking part in the fellowship of sufferings. You went there before us.