Thoughts for another day

July 14, 2009

Today's verse: Jn. 18:27. Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew. (KJV)
(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

Jesus was with His apostles for a good amount of time. He knew the true nature of each one and He even knew them better than they themselves! He knew Peter to be a kind of an impulsive character. And He knew Peter would be first in doing things that would amount to gaining favor in His sight, for e.g. when He predicted His own death and resurrection, Peter was the one who first showed sympathy saying, ‘God forbid …’

Now Jesus loved Peter. We know it because, there are many assigns given to Peter, incl. the fact that to Peter was revealed the truth about Him, that He was the Son of God, the Anointed Savior. But so, Peter would not be too boastful in his relation and affinity to Him, Jesus also gave Peter the ignominy of being the one who would deny Him. Never, in his life could Peter have imagined that he would deny Jesus and he even made claims like, if everyone ran away from Jesus in His troubles, he never would! Jesus had to bring him onto terra firma by asserting to him that he would deny His own persona.

When Peter actually denied Jesus, he’d have probably not understood what he was doing, but when it hit him, imagine his plight. He probably would have not understood where to go and hide in shame. Only in desperate crying and sincere repentance, he'd have found solace and through it, his way back to the Master’s heart! In our lives too, we deny Jesus for very small things. If we’re upset, we do not call out His Name. We refuse many times to accept His sovereignty over our lives and shoo Him away. In this we are denying Him and making other things our gods. Therefore, God has given us the example of Peter, that like Him we too turn and repent with bitter tears and return to Him, the fount of all glory, patience and mercy.