A Friend’s Denial

Bible Reading: Matthew 26:69-75

Maddie buried her face in her pillow. She heard footsteps come into her room and then her mom’s voice. “Maddie, what happened?”

“Alexa.” Maddie didn’t move. “I was waiting for her by the bus, and she walked right past me.”

“She did?” Mom frowned. “Did you two have a fight?”

“No,” Maddie moaned. “It’s that new girl. Summer. Alexa sat by her instead of me.”

“I see,” Mom said, the bed shifting as she sat down on it.

“She acted like she didn’t even know me,” Maddie said. “She just walked by without even looking at me or anything.” Maddie started to cry. “It hurts so bad. No one knows what this feels like.”

“I’m sorry, Maddie,” Mom said. “I wish I could take away your pain. Friends can really hurt us badly.”

Maddie cried while her mom rubbed her back. “If she had just looked at me and said something, it would have been okay. She could have just told me she was going to sit with Summer.”

Mom nodded. “You said that no one understands how you feel, but this reminds me a bit of something in the Bible.”

Maddie wiped her eyes. “It does?”

Mom patted Maddie’s back. “Do you remember when Jesus was arrested, how Peter had followed after Him but then denied knowing Him when asked if he was Jesus’s disciple? Jesus was going through the most difficult experience of his life, and Peter told people he didn’t know Him. Instead of being there for Jesus, Peter looked away and pretended they had never been friends.”

“Why do people do that to their friends?” Maddie asked.

“In Peter’s case, he was probably scared,” Mom said. “With Alexa, maybe she wanted to sit with someone new and didn’t know how to tell you. She may or may not stay friends with Summer, but for today she wanted to try that out.” Mom kissed the top of Maddie’s head. “I’m not sure why friends choose to hurt us, but I do know that you’re not alone in what you’re feeling. Jesus understands your pain. He knows what it’s like to have a friend ignore you and pretend you were never friends. But He won’t ever abandon you like that—whenever you feel hurt and alone, remember He’s right there with you.”

-Emily Acker

How About You?

Have you ever been hurt in a way that made it feel like you were all alone and no one could understand what you were going through? Has a friend turned their back on you? Jesus knows how you feel. He had friends turn on Him and abandon Him, and He knows how much it hurts. When you feel sad and alone, remember He’s with you and won’t ever leave you.

Today’s Key Verse:
Hebrews 13:5 I [God] will never leave you or abandon you. (CSB)

Today’s Key Thought:

Jesus understands the hurt you feel