What happened in the mind of Jesus’ friend that caused him to betray Jesus? He had an idea, an idea about what should happen and what Jesus should do. When it didn’t happen the way he wanted, his resentment poisoned his mind and heart. He couldn’t hear what Jesus was saying. Communication lines were broken.
The same thing can happen in our lives. When we put our focus on an idea, it can cause harm to ourselves and others. We must ask the Lord, “Is it I, Lord?” Many times it is my ideas that are poisoning my relationships. We feel betrayed but maybe we are the ones who are the betrayers.
A wise person once said, “Your ideas are not you.” When we converse, we must put our ideas on the table and discuss them in peace and friendship. In addition, our ideas about a person are not the person. We must be open to hearing and understanding who a person truly is. We need to try to enter into their world and life in order to understand them. And this takes time and patience. Our Father gives us patience and time, so we must do the same for others. All our ideas will pass away but charity remains forever.