“Mine Own Familiar Friend”

In the forty-first psalm, King David laments the opposition he experiences not only from his adversaries, but also from his supposed allies:

Mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his name perish?…

All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt….

Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.

Psalm 41:5, 7, 9

At the Last Supper, Jesus quoted this passage as a way of signaling to the apostles that one of them would betray Him: “I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me” (John 13:18). How ironic that He had just washed their feet, including the very heel that had already been raised against Him!

Shortly after, He said quietly to Judas, “That thou doest, do quickly” (John 13:27). Perhaps it was important for Judas to know that his actions weren’t as secret as he had supposed. Perhaps it was important for the other apostles to be able to look back and recognize that Jesus was fully aware of the treachery, that He hadn’t been surprised. He not only showed no sign of vindictiveness against His betrayer, He even found divine purpose in Judas’s reprehensible behavior.

“Love your enemies,” said the Savior (Matthew 5:44, Luke 6:27, 3 Nephi 12:44). He followed His own counsel by treating those who sought to kill Him with dignity and respect. Shortly after, He healed the ear of Malchus, the high priest’s servant who had come to arrest Him. (See John 18:10-11, Luke 22:50-51.) The following day, as He hung on the cross, He pleaded with His Father to forgive His executioners. (See Luke 23:34.)

Today, I will strive to emulate the restraint and compassion of the Savior in the face of opposition. I will remember His admonition to love our enemies and His extraordinary example of doing just that during the darkest moments of His life.