On the way, Jesus told them, “Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say,
‘God will strike the
Shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
But after I have been raised from
the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.”
Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I
will never desert you.”
Jesus replied, “I tell you
the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three
times that you even know me.” Matthew
26:31-34
A friend of mine was having some challenges a month ago. They had lost their brother to cancer earlier
in the week, and then a close nephew committed suicide a couple of days later. I could see how grieved she was, and the pain
was visible on her face. I hugged to
console her, and her reaction showed it was not only appreciated but also vastly
needed. I saw her again this past weekend
still looking a bit pained but clearly in better spirits than last month. It was then she revealed something disturbing. It was the type of thing that I had
previously disassociated from some people as it went against my values as a
Christian. I paused for a moment to
reevaluate things. Do I cut ties courteously? Do I raise my deep concern as I inform them
of my decision to distance myself from her?
I chose a different path. I let her
know I loved her and chose to remain friends without discussing it further. We may discuss it one day in the future, but when
we do, I decided we would remain friends.
The relationship was more valuable than the issue between us. Some things are just bigger than others.
God’s love for us is far bigger than anything we may do to
separate us from it. My situation gave
me fresh insight into the conversation between Peter and Jesus and Peter’s denial
of Jesus. In all my years of doing
devotional writing, I never focused on this in part because it is showed an ugly
part of the relationship between God and me.
Jesus knew His most loyal disciple, Peter, would betray Him. As a person who is both loyal to and honest
with my friends, this had to be the most difficult thing for Jesus to deal
with. Yet, Jesus loved Peter deeply, and
would entrust Him to lead the new Christians as He ascended to Heaven. Later of course, Peter, having realized the
fulfilment of Jesus’s prediction, “went away , weeping bitterly.” (Matthew
26:75b) Bitterly in this case is not
meant with anger but instead spoke to its intensity. This story is invaluable as we gain greater
understanding of our own relationship with Christ. Yes, we all fall short of God’s glory at some
point and in some way. Yet, He looks at
us, and get this because here is the most valuable part of the story. He not only loves us but also still asks
do we love Him. This is the epitome
of God’s grace; His extending a hand to us even when we knowingly failed Him.
Jesus’s love for us is bigger than anything else. He did not shy away from His crucifixion as payment
for our sins. He simply confirmed with
God that it was His will praying, “My Father! If it is
possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will
to be done, not mine.” (Matthew 26:39b)
We were bigger to Him than His own life.
That’s how much He loves you. How
much do you acknowledge His love for you?
What will you do to depend your heart for Him today? What relationship can you mend today that is
bigger than what broke you apart? My
prayer is that we look to Jesus Christ realizing no matter how big our
failures, His love for us is just bigger than that. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment