YOUTH GROUP GAME ON BETRAYAL
Bible: Psalm 41:9-10; Matthew 26:16, 20
Bottom Line: When you feel betrayed, choose to take your hurt to God, instead of getting revenge.
SUPPLIES
- Large bag of M & M’s—enough for each student to have 2 pieces of candy
- Small bag of M & M’s—to give as a prize
GAME PREP
Students will play this game individually.
Give each student two M & M’s.
HOW TO PLAY THE GAME
Say: Each of you have been given two M & M’s—don’t eat them, and you won’t want to by the time we have finished this game!
Go ahead and put your M & M’s inside of your hands and make a fist.
You can put one in each hand, or both in one hand—it’s totally up to you.
When I say, “Go,” you will walk around this room, holding your hands in front of you.
You will walk up to someone, decide which hand you think they are holding an M & M in, and say, “Show me your right hand” or “Show me your left hand.”
You only get to ask them to show you one hand.
If that hand is holding an M & M, then they have to give it to you, and they don’t get to challenge you back.
If it is not, then you don’t get anything and that person can challenge you by saying “Show me your ____ hand.”
If you run out of M & M’s, then you’re out of the game.
It will become more challenging with the more M & M’s you get!
The goal is to be the person at the end of the game who has the most M & M’s.
Hopefully, the candy will melt in their hands, making for a fun twist!
Award the bag of M & M’s to the person with the most at the end of the game.
TEACH
Say: Some of you were really good at convincing other people which hand you did or didn’t have your M & M’s in!
I’m sure it’s not because any of you have practiced your skills of betrayal.
Ask: What would you consider to be the ultimate betrayal?
For some people, an example would be if your best friend cheered for your favorite football team’s rival; or, if you broke up with your boyfriend/girlfriend and one of your friends started dating them.
So, tell me, what does a betrayal feel like to you?
Allow a few responses from students.
Share a story of your own, but keep it light-hearted because this is a pretty heavy subject.
Read Psalm 41:9.
“Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely, the one who shared my food, has turned against me."
This is from a Psalm, a sacred song or poem, written by King David.
In the Book of Psalms, we read stories about David’s greatest triumphs and his personal times of weakness.
David just lays his heart and emotions out there for all of humanity to see—times of great joy, sadness (even depression), love, trust in God, and loss of faith in what God can do.
David experienced it all and shared it with all of us!
So, in this verse, we read that David’s best friend, someone that he has shared his life with, has turned against him, and he’s hurting.
In a moment of complete honesty, in verse 10, David asks God to “Make me well again, so I can pay them back!”
Wow! Most of us have probably felt like that at one time or another, but maybe we haven’t said it out loud.
And I think most of us realize that’s not a plan that God could agree with.
After all, if anyone experienced betrayal and had the opportunity to get revenge, it was Jesus.
He was betrayed by one of His disciples—someone He spent an enormous amount of time with during His final years on earth.
After traveling with Jesus, watching Him perform miracles, and hearing it proclaimed that He was the Messiah, Judas went to the chief priests (who did not believe Jesus was the Messiah) and asked them what they would give him if he handed Jesus over to them.
The priests agreed to give him 30 pieces of silver.
Matthew 26:16 says, “From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.”
It didn’t just happen, it was methodically planned and executed.
Ask: How would you feel if you knew one of your friends was plotting to betray you?
Allow a few responses from students.
The Bible says that Jesus knew Judas was going to betray Him.
Matthew 26:20 says, “When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table with the Twelve. While they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”
And when Judas asked Jesus if he was the one, Jesus replied, “You have said it.”
When I read this story, I wonder why Judas asked if he was the one who would betray Jesus when he knew it was him!
He knew the plans in his own heart, why did he ask Jesus if he was the one who would betray Him?
We don’t know, but maybe he wondered if Jesus knew.
Maybe he thought that somehow, Jesus didn’t know.
But, Judas’ betrayal led to the death of Jesus.
So, Jesus knew about Judas’ betrayal, did not stop him, and set the ultimate example for us to follow.
In the next few verses, we see Jesus praying and spending time with God.
God can remove our pain and replace it with love and forgiveness; that’s not human nature—it’s something only He can do.
When people you love turn their backs on you, realize that many times it doesn’t have anything to do with you, but rather a personal battle they are fighting within themselves.
Each of us will work through personal struggles at some point in our lives, and sometimes those around us suffer as a result of the situations we are working through.
Knowing this enables you to look at those who hurt you with compassion because they need God’s help as much as you do.
So, when you are betrayed, choose to take your hurt to God, instead of getting revenge.
God will help you, even when you can't see a path to healing, and will teach you how to help others when they feel betrayed.