Mark 14:71-72
Now Peter got really nervous and swore, "I never laid eyes on this man you're talking about." Just then the rooster crowed a second time. Peter remembered how Jesus had said, "Before a rooster crows twice, you'll deny me three times." He collapsed in tears.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
I’ve read this passage dozens – maybe even hundreds – of times. But when I read it again recently, I was struck by these two verses. Jesus had told Peter that he would deny knowing Him. “Nope, I won’t! Never gonna happen!” Peter had replied (paraphrased, of course!). Peter thought he was strong. He thought he had incredible faith and devotion, and that nothing – and no one – could make him waiver. But when trouble came and he feared for his own life, he caved and did the very thing he didn’t intend to ever do.
Aren’t we all so much like Peter? We have these grandiose plans and intentions for being such pious little saints and servants. But we underestimate the skill of our opponent – the devil! He can twist the knife and turn us in ways we never intended to bend… and the next thing you know, we are saying and doing things we never thought we would or could. And we, like Peter, have been warned!
If we read the first few chapters of the Book of Acts, we see that Peter became one of the strongest leaders among the disciples of Christ. He was heartsick over his denial of Jesus, but Jesus forgave him, and He picked Peter up by the bootstraps and used him mightily to spread the Gospel. And this is the lesson for us. We all make mistakes. We all fall short – and maybe even do seemingly horrible things. But Jesus has the power to wash us clean of all of that, set us on our feet, and use us in His service. And that’s exactly what we must do!
If Peter had chosen to wallow in self-pity and go over and over his mistakes, he would have been of no use to Jesus. In essence, he would have stomped all over the salvation that Christ gave to Him – and to us. We have a choice. We can wallow in our past… our sins and our mistakes… or we can ask Jesus to heal us and forgive us – set us upright again – and learn from our experiences. We can use the past to create a better future in Christ… and to build even stronger relationships with others in His name.
What will you choose? Will you build your legacy on the sins of your past? Will you stay stuck in the mud and mire of your mistakes? Or will you step up and ask Jesus to work in you and use you – not because of your purity, but in spite of your brokenness? Take a cue from Peter. Realize that God has a purpose for you – and He is waiting for you to recognize this and get on with it! What do you say?
©2011 Debbie Robus
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