October 30 - John 13:31-38, Mark 14:27-31, Matthew 26:31-35, Luke 22:31-38, John 14:1-15:17

Good morning everyone,

Today as we pick up the story, Jesus is sharing a meal, hanging out with his best guys. They have been with Him for the better part of three years and still they really don’t get it. Judas Iscariot has just left the room and Jesus, once more, tells the remaining eleven, “My children, I will be with you only a little longer” then tells them,  “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Please take note: This NOT a request, it is a command. “Love one another. As I have loved you.” It does not say, “only love the lovable” nor “only if they love you” nor “if you feel like it” or any other “nors.” It is not conditional. But please don’t get me wrong, it is not asking you or me to condone sin, but rather find a way to love the sinner while shunning the sin. Easier said than done, for sure! But God commanded it which means there is a way to do it. Find that way, because it is by the way we are able to conduct ourselves in the face of those who, for whatever reason, rub us the wrong way that we are best able to show the love of God. Make sense? 

All four Gospels tell the story of Jesus predicting Peter’s denial. Luke documented Jesus saying to Simon, “Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.” Now, if I had just been told that my name came up in a conversation with the enemy and that he was looking for a way to crush me like a grain of wheat, I’d be horror stricken. Just sayn’. Peter, totally blows over the ramifications of that and says ,“Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.” 

Ahhh, Peter, Peter, Peter. I like him, I can so relate to Simon Peter. Like Peter, I too, made such a foolish statement as that in a season of my life that is well behind me now. I don’t think it was so much out of pride or arrogance as much as being incredibly young in my walk with the Lord and extremely naive as to the power of the enemy and how vulnerable we all truly are. I had a lot of growing to do. Too, in those days, I thought that my two hour a week church experience was all that was needed to go to battle, the remaining one hundred, eighty-nine hours of that week, against the constant battering of the world. Well, it didn’t take God long to show me how admirably bold but wrong I was. So I sit here with tears in my eyes, not for me but for Peter, and for anyone else who had denied the Lord then had to look on the face of the One who loves us all so very much. For I know what Peter felt when, as we will soon read, the rooster crows that second time and he looked into the gentle eyes of Jesus. Hind sight being 20/20, I don’t know, that if given the opportunity, I would change my experience. It taught me a lot. Lessons I will draw on for as long as I am on this weigh station called earth and wisdom that can hopefully be passed on to others.

In John 15 Jesus tells us, “Remain in me, as I also remain in you.” He also says, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.” What a friend we have in Jesus …… Then Matthew in 16:26 begs the question, “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” I would challenge you as I remind myself to take care of first things first. Say good-by to self. Get your heart right with God then . . . and then, everything else will fall into place. Amen?

Have a great day and to God be the glory.

God bless you all …..