Kisses are so important to us. In many parts of the world, kisses are the way you formally greet one another. In many cases, the closer you are to the person–a family member, a long-lost friend–the more exuberant the kiss.
Since we are just a week away from Valentine’s Day, it is probably fair to assume that those kisses are also on our minds: the kiss of love… not just sensual love between lovers, but also the tender love of a parent to child and the “brotherly love” [that’s where we get the city Philadelphia] between close friends.
This text today almost smacks us in the face. For the kiss of greeting, the kiss of tender love, the kiss of brotherly love is a kiss of betrayal. And yet, Jesus still calls Judas “friend” (hetairos: friend, companion).