Tag Archives: tell

And Peter

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AND PETER

As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen. He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him as He told you.’ (Mark 15: 5-7)

Now why would Jesus single Peter out for a special message? Wasn’t he one of the Twelve, even their self-appointed leader? Peter had the biggest mouth and was always the first to speak or act. He was not only one of the Twelve but also the first of the Three; Peter, James and John, the three men who were closest to Jesus. If anyone had anything to say, it was Peter. If anyone was first to react, it was Peter. Who wanted to walk on water with Jesus? Peter! Who was quickest with the sword to defend Jesus? Peter!

Peter was up front alright when it came to being noticed. So why Peter?

I think the answer is obvious. Peter was not only ahead when it came to responding to Jesus. He was also right out front when it came to disowning Him. He has pushed his way into the courtyard of the high priest’s house, mingling among the “enemy” in the hopes that he would not be noticed, but his Galilean accent gave him away. And the serving maid had pounced on him. In that split second, did Peter think that she had any influence to get him arrested along with Jesus? Why did that bother him? It was not he but Jesus they were after.

A downfall happens in an unguarded moment. Peter didn’t have time to think. He blurted out his denial before his brain caught up with his mouth, and it was too late to take it back. The next time he faced the same accusation, he had to carry on the deception. It was not planned; it just happened. Wasn’t that exactly what Jesus had warned them all about? He knew what Peter would do, but what about the rest? Was he the only guilty one?

When it was time to prepare themselves for the unexpected, they slept. It was a lesson they had to learn through hard experience. They did not know what was coming but Jesus had warned them of impending trouble. It was not about the details of the circumstances but about having a watchful attitude that they completely missed.

How did Jesus handle their failure, and especially Peter’s, seeing he was their leader? Did He write them off as hopeless? That would have been a disaster because He had invested three years in them, grooming them to take over where He left off, and there was no one else to whom He would entrust His message; even more important, His very own presence in them. Apart from Him they could do nothing.

Jesus was neither disappointed in them nor disillusioned with them because of their failure. He knew that it was part of their journey and far more important than any successes along the way. They had to know that He had not written them off. ‘Tell my disciples and Peter . . .’ Jesus did not miss a beat. Love doesn’t give up. He knew that it was not their love that had failed Him but their flesh. Their intentions towards Him were settled. Unlike Judas who had abandoned Him in his heart long before his dastardly action, the disciples loved Him.

He saw Peter’s bitter tears. How He must have longed to comfort Peter in those terrible moments when remorse hit him like a tidal wave! God’s like that! No angry accusations. No harsh judgment. Just mercy and compassion for a fallen son! No matter how Peter felt, he could not take back his hasty words. And he could not get near to Jesus.

‘Go and tell His disciples . . . and Peter.’ And Peter? Packed into those two words are all the scandalous mercy of a forgiving God. Can you feel the compassion of the Master’s heart towards His fallen companion? Unlike us, unlike the gods we have created in our own image, the heart of Jesus was for him. Yes, he did wrong; yes, he sinned grievously; yes, he lied and deceived to save his own skin, but Jesus was not offended. He thought only of the pain in Peter’s heart for the severing of fellowship in that moment.

Peter’s tears were the visible evidence of a broken heart; not broken as shattered but broken as submissive – like a young horse that submits to a saddle and rider after a great struggle. Peter knew, in that bitter moment that Jesus was right and he was wrong. It was not his worst failure but his first victory. A ‘broken’ Peter would finally submit, knowing that all his blustering protests of self-control were but a vapour.

‘And Peter’ was Jesus’ declaration of confidence that Peter had finally ‘got it’. Teaching him didn’t do it; warning him didn’t do it; he had to feel and know the pain of failure before the lesson was firmly embedded in his spirit. ‘And Peter’ was His call to leave his pain and bitter remorse and step back onto the path of trust and obedience, a humbler and wiser man. No, Peter’s failure did not disqualify him. On the contrary, it eminently qualified him to be a true disciple of Jesus.

Nothing teaches a disciple better than the exposure of failure. Failure brings him right down to earth with a bump. It reveals not only who he is but also who He is, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love and faithfulness. (Ex 34:6)

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Have you read my new book, Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart (Copyright © 2015, Partridge Publishing)? You’ll love it!

Available on www.amazon.com in paperback, e-book or kindle version or order directly from the publisher at www.partridgepublishing.com.

Watch this space. My second book, Learning to be a Disciple – The Way of the Master (Copyright © 2015, Partridge Publishing), companion volume to Learning to be a Disciple – The Way of the Master, will soon be on the bookshelves.

Check out my Blog site – www.learningtobeason.wordpress.com

 

Time To Tell

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TIME TO TELL

Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man – and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region (Mark 5: 14-16).

What a sensation! Never had the people of the region heard of anything like this before. A madman becoming sane – just like that! And who was this man who did it? The news of the miracle-worker had obviously not reached them across the lake. Of course they were Gentiles, so who would have told them about Jesus? And they were full of superstition. No one had ever done something like this before. He must be a god or at least a magician. What would He get up to next?

They were scared. Without an explanation they didn’t want Him around. What if it wasn’t only pigs that landed in the lake next time! And what about their pigs? It didn’t seem to matter to Him that He had just destroyed their livelihood. You can‘t sneeze at losing two thousand pigs in one go! No, they didn’t want Him around doing any more damage to them even if the local village idiot was suddenly miraculously sane.

Coming as close to Him as they dared, they begged Him to go. “Just go!” they insisted. ”We don’t want you around.”

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with Him. Jesus did not let him, but said, ‘God home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how He has had mercy on you.’ (Mark 5:17-19).  

Why did the newly-delivered man want to go with Jesus? Was he afraid of what the locals would do to him? After all, wasn’t he indirectly responsible for their loss? They didn’t seem to care that he had been set free from his madness. They were more concerned about their pigs! In any case, what guarantee did they have that he would not become crazy again after the miracle-man had left? They had never seen this happen before. Perhaps it was just a temporary remission and then he would become even more dangerous than before.

Perhaps his reason was far less sinister. Wouldn’t you want to stay close to your deliverer? Gentile though he was with no background or knowledge of the true God, there was something about this man that he just could not get enough of. Never had anyone treated him with such love and compassion. Those who had tried to restrain his bizarre behaviour with shackles and chains had been harsh and cruel, using force and hurting and enraging him even more. That much he remembered in his tormented mind.

But this man – and he didn’t even know His name – was different. And He came from the other side of the lake. A Jew! He must be a Jew and yet He was kind and gentle – not like the other Jews who made no bones about their hatred and contempt for the Gentiles. Even if the others hated him, he decided, he would stick with Him. His love was something he lapped up like a thirsty traveller.

Why did Jesus refuse to allow him to go with Him? Why did He instruct him to go home to his own people and tell them how much the Lord had done for him? Didn’t He tell those whom He had healed not to tell anyone about Him? Why was He so contradictory?

On the Jewish side of the lake the crowds flocked around Him like pigeons in a field of grain. He had to preach from Peter’s boat to avoid being pushed into the lake. But here the people were afraid of Him. They chased Him away because they did not know what to make of Him. He needed a witness like this man to convince them that He was not a magician with evil intent but “the Lord” who had mercy on one demon-possessed man.

So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for Him. And all the people were amazed (Mark 5: 20).

How effective was the witness of this one man? On another occasion when Jesus visited the region again, the people flocked to Him. Why? What made the change? Was it the testimony of this one man? He obviously didn’t relapse into madness again. His life had been transformed by Jesus. Their fear turned to curiosity and some even to faith because this man did what Jesus told him to do.

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Have you read my new book, Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart (copyright 2015, Partridge Publishing)? You’ll love it!

Available on www.amazon.com in paperback, e-book or kindle version or order directly from the publisher at www.partridgepublishing.com.

Check out my Blog site – www.learningtobeason.wordpress.com

 

 

Sons And Brothers

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SONS AND BROTHERS

“Jesus said, ‘Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news, ‘I have seen the Lord!’ And she told them that He had said these things to her.” John 20:17-18 NIV.

Mary was overwhelmed with joy. All she wanted to do was to hold her Master and never let Him go. There were so many things she did not yet understand. For now, Jesus was alive and that was all that mattered. But for Jesus, there were still things to accomplish to fulfil the imagery of the Old Testament Scriptures.

After the high priest had sacrificed the second goat on the Day of Atonement (the first goat was the Azazel — the live goat that carried the sins of the people out into the wilderness), he had to take the blood into the Most Holy Place and sprinkle it on the Mercy Seat to make atonement for the people. No one was allowed to touch him until he had reappeared from behind the veil.

Was Jesus referring to this imagery when He stopped Mary from touching Him? Later on when He met His disciples in the upper room, He invited Thomas to touch Him, to probe His wounds so that he would be sure it was really Jesus. Why did He contradict Himself?

“But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, not part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.” Hebrews 9:11 NIV.

The writer to the Hebrews does not give us an idea of when this happened. It could be   that at some time between Jesus’ appearance to Mary Magdalene and to the disciples in the upper room, He had presented His blood to the Father as an eternal atonement for sin. How else can we understand the apparent contradiction between His instruction to Mary and His invitation to Thomas? I am not starting a new heresy, just wondering!

Jesus used a little phrase that has captured my attention, ‘…My brothers…’ For the first time in His association with His disciples, He called them “brothers”.  Something had changed His relationship with them, from “servants” to “friends” (John 15:15) to “brothers”. There was a new blood relationship with them that had not existed before. He referred to God as His Father and their Father, not “our Father” in a general way which would not have drawn their attention to the newly-formed family relationship.

Again we are indebted to the author of Hebrews for throwing light on Jesus’ words.

“In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what He suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.

“He says, ‘I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.'” Hebrews 2:10-12 NIV.

The unthinkable has happened. Brothers and sisters! That puts us who believe in Him on the same level as He is. The same love that the Father has for His Son He has for His sons and daughters. Through His grace He has raised us up and seated us with Christ in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6, 7). He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

It’s all about Him. He has reinstated us into His family and given us the status and privileges of sonship. We are no longer slaves but sons, and He had given us the Spirit of sonship and the witness of the Spirit that were are indeed children of God. He has given us His name, His blessing, His home and an inheritance in His Son which are all the benefits of sonship.

What more do we need?

Pagans And Pigs

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PAGANS AND PIGS!

“Those tending the pigs, scared to death bolted and told their story in town and country.  People went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man, from whom the demons had been sent, sitting there at Jesus’ feet, wearing decent clothes and making sense. It was a holy moment, and for a short time they were more reverent than curious. Then those who had seen it happen told how the demoniac had been saved.” Luke 8:34-36 (The Message).

What a holy moment!

These were Gentiles, people who lived in a region of ten Greek towns on the east side of the lake of Galilee; pagan people who dabbled with demons and who were probably used to seeing demon-possessed people. But this man had been particularly bad, so tormented and demented that he could not live among them. He had taken up residence among dead people who could not possibly be affected by his crazed behaviour.

They had seen the effects of demons entering people but they had never seen the outcome of demons leaving! No doubt they rushed to the edge of the cliff to see what had happened to the pigs. There they were, bloated and floating in the lake, all three thousands of them, exactly as the townspeople had reported!  Some of them must have been owners of the pigs. There was their livelihood, floating in the lake! They could not have been too pleased.

Others were dumbstruck by the man who was so transformed that they hardly recognised him. He was clothed and sane, sitting with Jesus, adoring Him and deep in conversation with Him. They could only stand and stare, and wonder that this man was who had authority over the evil spirits they both worshipped and feared.

“Later, a great many people from the Gerasene countryside got together and asked Jesus to leave — too much change, too fast, and they were scared. So Jesus got back in the boat and set off. The man whom He had delivered from the demons asked to go with Him, but He sent him back, saying, ‘Go home and tell everything God did in you.’ So he went back home and preached all over town everything Jesus had done in him.” Luke 8:37-39 (The Message).

It did not take long for the word to spread throughout the whole region. People came running from far and near and congregated to discuss this shocking and frightening event. If this man could do this, what else could He do, and what else would He do? Many of them had already suffered huge financial loss. Had He come to destroy them? They did not understand what this was all about.

 

No doubt the loss of the pigs overshadowed the man’s release from the tormented life he had lived for so long. Perhaps they were even hostile towards him because they blamed him for their financial catastrophe. Could he have wanted to follow Jesus to escape their hostility as well as because of his gratitude to Jesus? We don’t know.

In Jewish territory, Jesus instructed people who had been healed not to broadcast it because He did not want to be swamped by popularity with people who were out to get something from Him. Here, however, there was no danger of that. These Gentile people needed to be confronted with the truth about the one true God who had power over the demons who were all too real to them.

Jesus gave this man a commission — to tell his story wherever he went, and that was easy for him to do. He was a living witness to the truth of what he was telling. On a later occasion, when Jesus returned to the region, He was well received because the ex-demon-possessed man had done his job and the people not only recognised Him, they also brought a blind man to Him.

The news was out. Jesus cared about Gentiles too.

He cares for you!