Joab greeted Amasa like a brother,
took his beard, spoke peace
and then struck him down.

Judas Iscariot came to Jesus Christ with a kiss
a sign of honour of closeness
and in that moment, handed Him over.

Both stories carry the same weight.

Closeness used as a cover.
Peace masking something deeper.
Outward loyalty but an inward divide.

It’s confronting, because it reveals something we don’t often like to talk about

You can walk near Him
and still not be fully surrendered to Him.

Joab stayed close to David for years
but his heart was driven by control.

Judas Iscariot walked with Jesus
but something within him never fully yielded.

And yet Jesus knowing it all
still received the kiss.

No retaliation.
No grasping for control.
Only surrender to the Father.

There’s a difference between being near
and being yielded.

God isn’t just looking at where we stand
He’s looking at what’s shaping our heart.

Not in a condemning way
but in a refining one.

“Search me, O God and know my heart.”

Because the heart He is forming in us
doesn’t just follow

It surrenders.