The
Protector Professes
Matthew 26:33-35 contains a very bold statement
made by the apostle Peter. Jesus told them, “You will all be offended in me.”
That is, they will all be “stumbled” because of this. What does Peter tell Him?
“Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended
because of thee, yet will I never be offended” (Matt 26:33). “These
other guys might be offended by you but I will NEVER be offended by you, Lord!”
Christ replied, “Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow,
thou shalt deny me thrice” (v. 34). Peter responds by saying, “I will die
before I be offended!” The rest of the disciples joined in with Peter’s
statement. What really happened? Peter is recognized as a follower of Christ,
which he denies. It gets to the point that he begins to “curse and swear” (v.
74). This is not to be understood as we would think of someone cursing and
swearing today. In this day and age it would refer to someone using foul
language. In those times, it meant someone swore that a statement was true and
that a curse be put on them if it were not. He swore an oath that he did not
know who Christ was. The cock crew a third time and Peter remembered what
Christ told him. Fleeing the scene, Peter wept bitterly.
We, too can be guilty of this. How many of us
were on fire for the Lord when we first became Christians? How long did that
last? Many individuals go through what is called a “Honeymoon” period. Think of
a couple before and shortly after the marriage. He sees the moon and the stars
within her eyes. She believes he is the one that hung them. Everything is
perfect. There are no problems in the world. Then the honeymoon ends and the
rubber meets the road. The couple faces their first big problem and begin
thinking, “I did not sign up for this!” They begin to realize certain realities
that were never noticed before. He may leave his clothes lying about. She has
an annoying whistle coming from her nose when she sleeps at night. Couples have
to work through certain issues in the relationship.
The same is true for members of the church. We
eventually have to face certain realities concerning the world and the
inhabitants thereof. There are also certain realities we must face concerning
the members of the church. They are not perfect people. But we can ultimately
do a lot to deny Him by our reactions to these groups of people.
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