What WE Would Do Given the Same Situation. . .
Matthew 26:31-35, The Message - Then Jesus told
them, “Before the night’s over, you’re going to fall to pieces because of what
happens to me. There is a Scripture that says,
I’ll strike the shepherd;
dazed and confused, the sheep will be scattered.
But after I am raised up, I, your Shepherd, will go ahead
of you, leading the way to Galilee.”
Peter broke in, “Even if everyone else falls to pieces on
account of you, I won’t.”
“Don’t be so sure,” Jesus said. “This very night, before
the rooster crows up the dawn, you will deny me three times.”
Peter protested, “Even if I had to die with you, I would
never deny you.” All the others said the same thing.
Up
until right before it happens, Jesus keeps telling the disciples how things are
going to go badly for Him. And our passage
above, Jesus warns his disciples that, when things go badly, they won’t handle
it very well. They will “fall to pieces.” Peter speaks for all of Jesus’s cohorts when
he boasts there is no way that would ever happen. But just as Jesus foretold, Peter will deny
Jesus three times before the night is over. All the others would falter in some
way as well. Though it is Peter that is
the example, this prediction from Jesus is one that is about all of us.
Unlike
Peter, I doubt that I would have made a verbal boast about what I would do or
not do. But I am certain, in the same circumstances,
I would have quietly assured myself that I would never deny or forsake Jesus
though all hell breaks loose. I believe
my approach would have been to quietly prove Jesus’s words to be wrong. My aim would be to simply show Jesus my
undying loyalty. But I’m pretty sure that
I, just like all the confident disciples, would fail to prove my unspoken
boast. I’m certain about this because I
have failed Jesus many times when I faced no real danger for being
faithful.
However,
this passage is not about Peter’s denial or the failings of all the other
disciples in the midst of the arrest, crucifixion, and death of Jesus. Jesus lets them know that they will fall to
pieces not to shame them, but to assure them, that when it happens, He will be
there to lead them forward after their failure.
The reality is that all of the disciples, except John, will go on to be martyred
for their bold faith in Jesus. But not
before they first fail Jesus. The
encounter with the Risen Christ turns their failure into faithfulness. The gift of the Holy Spirit turns their fear
into holy bravado.
We all
know what we think we will do when the “big moment” comes. Bur regardless of whether we fail or succeed,
Jesus promises to lead us forward afterwards.
Jesus knows that we will fall short sometimes. We might even completely fall apart. But on the other side of those darkest of moments,
our Shepherd will be there to help us pick up the pieces and move forward to a
better future.
Questions: Can you
think of times when you didn’t live up to your own expectations about how you
would perform in a difficult situation?
What was helpful to you in such moments?
Prayer: Jesus, we sometimes
overestimate our loyalty and devotion to You.
Thank you for your promise to be with us when we fail. Use our failures and shortcomings to strengthen
our faithfulness moving forward. Amen.
Prayer Focus: Pray
for people in places where Christians are martyred for their faith on a regular
basis.
Song: Are Ye Able –
Han Sol
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