Psalm 41:9
Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted,
Who ate my bread,
Has lifted up his heel against me.
The psalm is attributed to David and arises from a moment of personal betrayal. The language is intimate and relational, showing treachery from within the circle of trust.
In John 13:18, Jesus quotes this psalm: I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, HE WHO EATS BREAD WITH ME HAS LIFTED UP HIS HEEL AGAINST ME.
In the ancient Near East, table fellowship signified peace, trust, and loyalty. Judas did not betray Jesus from a distance or from ignorance; he did so from proximity and privilege. The Gospels emphasize this intimacy: Judas was one of the Twelve, chosen after prayer, entrusted with the common purse, and present at the most sacred moments of Jesus’ ministry. His betrayal, therefore, mirrors and intensifies the pain expressed in Psalm 41, showing that the Messiah would suffer not only from external opposition but from the wound of treachery from a trusted companion.
The expression lifted his heel against me suggests a violent, contemptuous action. This is fulfilled in Judas’s act of betrayal and the chain of events it initiates. Judas’s kiss becomes the instrument of arrest. What appears outwardly gentle conceals inward hostility, fulfilling the psalm’s portrayal of betrayal masked by intimacy. The heel lifted against Jesus ultimately leads to His suffering, trial, and crucifixion.
This fulfillment also highlights the sovereignty of God amid human sin. Jesus makes clear that Judas’s actions, though morally culpable, occur within the scope of divine foreknowledge and redemptive purpose. In John 13:19, immediately after quoting Psalm 41:9, Jesus says, I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. The betrayal does not undermine Jesus’ messianic identity; rather, it confirms it. What appears as defeat is revealed as fulfillment, and what seems like chaos unfolds according to God’s salvific plan.
The fulfillment of the Psalm reveals a Saviour who fully enters the depths of human brokenness, including the pain of betrayal by those closest to Him. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).
When we experience betrayal, even by a close friend, we are invited to see our suffering within the larger redemptive pattern fulfilled in Christ.
If the 2025 and the years behind you included wounds inflicted by trusted friends, you are not alone, and your suffering is not outside God’s redemptive story. In Christ, even betrayal can become a place where faith is refined and hope is renewed.
As you enter this new year, ask God to:
- Heal your heart where it has been bruised by those closest to you.
- Guard your heart, shape your trust according to His truth, and keep you from responding to betrayal with revenge.
- Work through your suffering to deepen your faith, conform you to Christ, and lead you into hope.
May you begin this new year with confidence in the One who redeems the past pain and who walks with you into all that lies ahead.
Soli Deo Gloria – to God alone be the glory! Rev. Luke Haisa
