‘Traitors’ is a British BBC reality television series broadcast, which has attracted millions of viewers. It is a ‘fun game’ of trust and treachery, portraying back-stabbing, scheming and deceit as life skills. Players designated as ‘faithful’ have to identify the players who are ‘traitors’.

The BBC news is full of reports about Lord Peter Mandelson who is accused of real treachery. He is being investigated for selfish financial crimes involving betraying his position of trust; of sharing market-sensitive information with a criminal. Many people are now ashamed of their friendship with and trust in this disgraced man.

There have been many traitors in history. The most famous in the Bible was the disciple Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus into the hands of the religious rulers. He seemed to be a true follower of Jesus, and fooled the other disciples, though not Jesus. In fact, even before this he had been a selfish and cunning thief.

He [Judas] said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it (John 12:6).

And he actually initiated the agreement to betray Jesus to the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14-16). He was a fake disciple: a traitor.

In total contrast, Jesus was completely honest and free from any trace of deceit. He asks his followers to trust him, not be ashamed of him, be his friend and try to be like him. He said:

For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels (Luke 9:26).

Just as in the BBC game, there are only two groups of people; sheep or goats, faithful or ‘traitors’. Jesus also said:

Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters (Luke 11:23);

and

You are my friends if you do what I command you (John 15:14).

There is no middle ground. We are either faithful to Jesus or we are not. Surely we want to be faithful, not traitors. We do not want to let Jesus down. And we need to be genuine: we cannot fool God or Jesus. Let us therefore find out what they ask of us and try to the best of our ability to do it. If we do this then God will not be ‘ashamed’ of us, but pleased to give us a place in His wonderful kingdom with Jesus as king.

Political U turns are repeatedly given bad press. In the UK, Sir Keir Starmer has made 13 such changes of mind in his 18 months as prime minister. These took between a few weeks and over a year. American President Trump is also well-known for U turns, to the extent that he is now associated with the acronym TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out). While admitting a mistake can be honorable, many people question the integrity of leaders who keep changing their decisions and resolves about important policy.

Jesus Christ never made any U turns. This is because he never made any mistakes. He did not need to change his mind. The same is not true of the rest of us. One of the most famous and important U turns in history is that of the apostle Paul, who was originally called Saul. This important Jewish religious leader was initially intent on eradicating Christianity.

But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem (Acts 9:1-2).

This was after he had consented to the murder of the first Christian martyr, Stephen (Acts 7). But on the way to Damascus Saul saw the risen Jesus, believed, was baptized, and became one of the most significant preachers of Christianity. A complete U turn (Acts 9:20-22).

The biblical word ‘repentance’ effectively means a ‘U turn’. Jesus and the apostles told people that if they wanted to please God they must ‘repent’.

Jesus preached:
…the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel (Mark 1:15).

After a local disaster, he said strong words:
…I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish (Luke 13:3).

The apostles repeated the message:
Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out (Acts 3:19).

Repentance means admitting being wrong and then changing one’s attitude, priorities and lifestyle. We are all commanded to repent: to do a massive U turn. Left to our own thoughts and standards we are without hope. We need to accept God’s standards. And it does not matter if we are young or old; if we have spent a long or short time going in the wrong direction; or even how bad that way was. The important thing is, like Saul, to change and do a U turn.

But having done this, a subsequent U turn would be disastrous. Jesus also said:
…No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62).

Having committed to following Jesus, repented and been baptized (Acts 2:38) it would be fatal to do a U turn on that decision and resolve (Hebrews 10:37-39).

Finally, we need to be immensely grateful that God does not do a U turn on His offer of eternal life.

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:29).

Whether or not they do U turns, no human leader can be trusted totally. Let us do a U turn and follow Jesus because he is utterly faithful and trustworthy.

There has been much speculation about the psychological and mental health of Presidents Putin and Trump. Both powerful and power-hungry, with very strong opinions, they seem headstrong and reluctant to take advice. These characteristics fill some people with fear.

It is not our place to assess the mental state of leaders put in place by God, because:

…the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will

Daniel 4:25

These words were spoken to the powerful Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, who had to endure a period of near insanity in order to learn their truth.

Centuries before, a powerful Pharaoh refused to accept the power of God. When Moses and Aaron asked him to let the Hebrew slaves leave Egypt, he responded:

Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.

Exodus 5:2

God then sent plagues on Egypt. Through five of the ten plagues this stubborn man ‘hardened his heart’, and doggedly refused to let Israel go (Exodus 7:13, 7:14, 7:22, 8:15, 8:19, 8:32). Pharoah’s magicians, who could not mimic the plagues after the first two, tried unsuccessfully to reason with the stubborn despot: “This is the finger of God” (Exodus 8:19). But Pharaoh seemed ‘crazy’.

Eventually God Himself hardened Pharaoh’s heart in order to show His supreme power (Exodus 10:1).

But there was more to all of this. God had said to Pharaoh:

But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.

Exodus 9:16

And after the tenth dreadful plague, Israel escaped from Egypt in the great ‘exodus’. Pharaoh was utterly powerless against God. God was in control and His purpose was fulfilled (Exodus 7:4-5).

We can be sure that God will also deliver and save those who trust in Him today. No leader, whether mad or not, can thwart the purpose of God in saving ‘His people’. So the message is clear. We need not fear any world leaders. God is greater than all of them and is even working through them to save those who trust in Him. We need to obey and serve God to the very best of our ability.