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Verse:And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him. But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” —Luke 22:47, 48
Today is July 13.
Many people consider thirteen to be an unlucky number.
They will not sit in row thirteen on airplanes or stay on the thirteenth floor in hotels. Some people are especially afraid of Friday the thirteenth and may even stay home, avoiding all business. But how did such superstitions begin? There are several theories regarding “unlucky thirteen.” For example, in contrast with twelve, seen by many as a symbol of completeness, thirteen is, by some, considered a number of incompleteness. Some mystics argue that Jesus and the twelve apostles made up a group of thirteen, and when the betrayer, Judas, left, the group went down to the ideal number—twelve. Some believe that the day on which Judas betrayed Jesus was Friday, Nisan 13, on the Jewish calendar. On April 13, 1970, one of the oxygen tanks of Apollo 13 exploded, and its mission had to be aborted. On Friday, October 13, 1307, Philip IV of France arrested hundreds of the Knights Templar.25 Other similar examples could be added to the list. And Thomas W. Lawson’s novel Friday, the Thirteenth (1907) helped advance the superstition surrounding that specific day. Combining the above theories with the bad reputation of August in some cultures, Friday the thirteenth of August is seen as especially fearful. For instance, in Brazil, August is known as the unlucky month of mad dogs, so dogs are usually vaccinated against rabies. Portuguese brides avoid getting married in August because that was the month when sailors used to go on long voyages, and the newly married ladies did not want to be left alone without a honeymoon.
Undoubtedly, many disasters have happened on Friday the thirteenth, but approximately the same number happen on every other day of the year.
It all depends on your perspective.
The problem begins when coincidence is taken as the norm, and exceptions are considered the rule. For those who trust in God and put their lives in His hands, there is no reason to be concerned over such ungrounded superstition. After all, “if God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).