"I Don't Know the Man!"
Psalm 40:9-17
9 I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly;
I do not seal my lips, LORD,
as you know.
10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
from the great assembly.
11 Do not withhold your mercy from me, LORD;
may your love and faithfulness always protect me.
12 For troubles without number surround me;
my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails within me.
13 Be pleased to save me, LORD;
come quickly, LORD, to help me.
14 May all who want to take my life
be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
be turned back in disgrace.
15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”
be appalled at their own shame.
16 But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
“The LORD is great!”
Exodus 34
The New Stone Tablets
1 The LORD said to Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. 2 Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai. Present yourself to me there on top of the mountain. 3 No one is to come with you or be seen anywhere on the mountain; not even the flocks and herds may graze in front of the mountain.”4 So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the LORD had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. 5 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”
Matthew 26:59-75
59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. 60 But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward 61 and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’” 62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” 63 But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” 64 “You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. 66 What do you think?” “He is worthy of death,” they answered. 67 Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him 68 and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”
Peter Disowns Jesus
69 Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said. 70 But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. 71 Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!” 73 After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”74 Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.
Reflections: In today’s readings we see the fragility of our humanness and the grace and compassion of God forgiving us and abounding in steadfast love. Moses’ frustration with the people is evidenced by his throwing down the two tablets, but these are replaced with God’s grace, two new tablets. We see Peter who just a while earlier said, “Lord I will never betray you”, sheepishly fleeing the scene when asked if he knows Jesus. We even see the great King David, crying out to God as he sees his sins mounting up more than even the hairs on his head.
One thing we can be sure of, God uses imperfect people and is patient with us in our weaknesses. Here are three of the giants of the faith: David, Moses and Peter who all had their moments of weakness and imperfection. Yet God used them mightily to show off His true nature reflected in Him being gracious and compassionate, and slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Of course there were consequences for their disobedience, but these were nothing compared to the grace and love that God eventually revealed in Christ Jesus.
When in your life have you like Peter in essence said, “I don’t know the man!”? When like Moses’ have you thrown down the tablets because of our frustration with the people around you? Remember God’s gracious and steadfast love today and reach out and forgive yourself and others for yours and their shortcomings. In this way you will be a little more like the God you worship and serve.
Inquire first for the word of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 18:4
Continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. 2 Timothy 3:14
Guide us, dear Lord, in our efforts to discern your will for our lives. As we turn to the scriptures, your guide for our faith and life, may we use all the resources at our disposal to understand and interpret their meaning for us. Keep us from shallow faith and unquestioning obedience and instead, help us to use our questions and doubts to be able to grow in our commitment to you. Amen.
9 I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly;
I do not seal my lips, LORD,
as you know.
10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
from the great assembly.
11 Do not withhold your mercy from me, LORD;
may your love and faithfulness always protect me.
12 For troubles without number surround me;
my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails within me.
13 Be pleased to save me, LORD;
come quickly, LORD, to help me.
14 May all who want to take my life
be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
be turned back in disgrace.
15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”
be appalled at their own shame.
16 But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
“The LORD is great!”
Exodus 34
The New Stone Tablets
1 The LORD said to Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. 2 Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai. Present yourself to me there on top of the mountain. 3 No one is to come with you or be seen anywhere on the mountain; not even the flocks and herds may graze in front of the mountain.”4 So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the LORD had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. 5 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”
Matthew 26:59-75
59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. 60 But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward 61 and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’” 62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” 63 But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” 64 “You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. 66 What do you think?” “He is worthy of death,” they answered. 67 Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him 68 and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”
Peter Disowns Jesus
69 Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said. 70 But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. 71 Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!” 73 After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”74 Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.
Reflections: In today’s readings we see the fragility of our humanness and the grace and compassion of God forgiving us and abounding in steadfast love. Moses’ frustration with the people is evidenced by his throwing down the two tablets, but these are replaced with God’s grace, two new tablets. We see Peter who just a while earlier said, “Lord I will never betray you”, sheepishly fleeing the scene when asked if he knows Jesus. We even see the great King David, crying out to God as he sees his sins mounting up more than even the hairs on his head.
One thing we can be sure of, God uses imperfect people and is patient with us in our weaknesses. Here are three of the giants of the faith: David, Moses and Peter who all had their moments of weakness and imperfection. Yet God used them mightily to show off His true nature reflected in Him being gracious and compassionate, and slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Of course there were consequences for their disobedience, but these were nothing compared to the grace and love that God eventually revealed in Christ Jesus.
When in your life have you like Peter in essence said, “I don’t know the man!”? When like Moses’ have you thrown down the tablets because of our frustration with the people around you? Remember God’s gracious and steadfast love today and reach out and forgive yourself and others for yours and their shortcomings. In this way you will be a little more like the God you worship and serve.
Inquire first for the word of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 18:4
Continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. 2 Timothy 3:14
Guide us, dear Lord, in our efforts to discern your will for our lives. As we turn to the scriptures, your guide for our faith and life, may we use all the resources at our disposal to understand and interpret their meaning for us. Keep us from shallow faith and unquestioning obedience and instead, help us to use our questions and doubts to be able to grow in our commitment to you. Amen.
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