The Power of a Memory
December 4th, 2007Think back for just a moment to the night Jesus was betrayed. Judas, of course, went out and brought the authorities to Gethsemane so he could collect his 30 pieces of silver. Jesus had predicted this as well as Peter’s denial (see Matthew 26:34).
As Jesus made the prediction, Peter denied his denials. He told Jesus that even if all of the other disciples left him he would not. He would even die with and for Jesus. We know that Jesus’ prediction about Peter came true.
Peter went through the three denials. Each grew more intense than the last. Until he reached the third denial and then heard the rooster crow. Just like Jesus had said, before the rooster crowed Peter would deny him three times. Luke tells us that Jesus looked Peter in the eye and then Peter went out and wept bitterly (Luke 22:61).
I have often thought about how weak we are. Just like Peter, there are times when we deny or at least want to deny Jesus. We want to be able to go along with the crowd, and still have the benefits of being a disciple of Jesus (you know, eternal life and all).
I have also thought about how Jesus must have felt when Peter actually fulfilled his prediction. What must Jesus have been thinking? “I knew it and told you so!”? “Poor Peter. He has good intentions but . . .”? Maybe he felt anger toward Peter. I know this, most of us would have not only wanted to shout “I told you so!” we would have wanted to punish Peter.
I wonder why Peter wept bitterly. Maybe it was because he denied the Lord. Certainly that should be enough. Maybe it was more. Perhaps Peter remembered the words of Jesus when he said, “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,
Peter may have thought he blew it as far as letting the Lord down. He may also have thought there was now no hope for him. This would have been the case with mere men. But, Jesus is more than mortal.
Roll the tape forward. Look into John 21. Peter and his friends are fishing after the resurrection. Jesus appears on the beach and cooks breakfast for them. In the course of conversation Jesus asks Peter three times if he loved him. He then tells Peter to feed his sheep and lambs. Jesus did not give up on Peter!
That is good news for us. Not only did God not give up on Peter, he does not give up on us. He works with us as the imperfect people that we are. Sometimes we let the Lord down and we weep over it. God keeps coming back to pick us up and refocus our attention where it needs to be — on serving, not on ourselves.
Keep The Light Burning!
Perry Greene
