THE KISS

John 18:3 Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Luke 22:47-48 47 … and he approached Jesus to kiss Him. But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a KISS?"
DEVOTE:
Psalm 55 captures this “kiss” prophetically: “For it is not an enemy who reproaches me, then I could bear it; nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me. 13 But it is you, … my companion and my familiar friend; 14 we who had sweet fellowship together”. It is a stinging thing to be kissed with deception by a brother, where motives are not pure, where “weapons” rattle in the cohort of the soul, where ambition is concealed, and friendship is not binding. Sincerity and transparency should be the hallmarks of the believer. Proverbs 27:5 says, “Better is open rebuke than love that is concealed. 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.”
There is an “up-kiss” and a “down-kiss”. In Absalom’s conspiracy, “When a man came near to prostrate himself before Absalom, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him” (2 Samuel 15:5) Absalom and Judas are “up-kissers” – their eyes are open when they kiss, looking beyond you to the next opportunity! A “down-kisser” is like the woman “standing behind Jesus at His feet, weeping, who began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with her hair, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume.” (Luke 7:38) That’s a down-kisser! That’s sincerity! That’s the mark of a forgiven soul! That’s a HOLY kiss! (Romans 16:16; et al)

PRAY:
Father, please purge my heart of deceit. Impregnate my soul with sincerity. Take away the masks, so that my lips can land a holy kiss!