By David ReayWednesday 28 Jun 2017LifeWords DevotionalsFaithReading Time: 0 minutes
Transcript:
Read Matthew 26:69-75
69 Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came over and said to him, “You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.”
70 But Peter denied it in front of everyone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.
71 Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72 Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. “I don’t even know the man,” he said.
73 A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said, “You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.”
74 Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!” And immediately the rooster crowed.
75 Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he went away, weeping bitterly. (NLT)
It is rather easier to make promises than to keep them. Peter boldly told Jesus that even if all the other weak-kneed disciples abandoned him, Peter wouldn’t. Big, brave, bold Peter said all the right things, but when the crunch came he didn’t back his words up with actions.
He betrayed Jesus not just once but three times. One thing we can say about Peter, he never did things by half measures! He could be so wonderfully right and so terribly wrong. And as such he is a comforting reminder to us who also follow Jesus in our own erratic way.
Peter reminds us that we don’t always keep our promises to Jesus. We can declare that from this day on we will be totally committed. We can say that from today things will be different. Our prayers will be more fervent, our bible reading more intensive, our witness more consistent, our love more apparent. And we may be very sincere in all this, and we may indeed make some sort of fresh start.
But there are many times when we too betray the one we have promised to obey. We betray him not as spectacularly as Peter, but it is betrayal all the same. We fail to stand up for him, we fail to honour him, we fail to do what pleases him and instead do what saddens him. No roosters might crow in the night, but even so we may, like Peter, weep bitterly.
The good news is that there is forgiveness and restoration available. For Peter and for us, failure is not final. But that is another story.
Blessings
David Reay