Peter's Denial 3x's
Psalm 70 (All Readings from the Message Translation Today!)
David’s Prayer
1-3 God! Please hurry to my rescue! God, come quickly to my side!
Those who are out to get me—
let them fall all over themselves.
Those who relish my downfall—
send them down a blind alley.
Give them a taste of their own medicine,
those gossips off clucking their tongues.
4 Let those on the hunt for you
sing and celebrate.
Let all who love your saving way
say over and over, "God is mighty!"
5 But I've lost it. I'm wasted.
God—quickly, quickly!
Quick to my side, quick to my rescue!
God, don't lose a minute.
Reflections: Again today we see David crying out to God for deliverance from his enemies and those who slight his name. Check on Psalm 40 for the similarities to this psalm. We see in the psalms the personal nature of David’s relationship with God, as he calls on God in prayer, praise and thanks. Though he is desperate for God’s intervention, he is confident that God will help him and this will result in bring praise to God and glory to His name. He knows that His trials though painful will bring glory to God. This gives us perspective when things don’t go our way as we model David’s trust in God and that God can use all of our situations for His glory!
Numbers 18:25-19:22
God spoke to Moses: "Speak to the Levites. Tell them, When you get the tithe from the People of Israel, the inheritance that I have assigned to you, you must tithe that tithe and present it as an offering to God. Your offerings will be treated the same as other people's gifts of grain from the threshing floor or wine from the wine vat. This is your procedure for making offerings to God from all the tithes you get from the People of Israel: give God's portion from these tithes to Aaron the priest. Make sure that God's portion is the best and holiest of everything you get. 30-32 "Tell the Levites, When you offer the best part, the rest will be treated the same as grain from the threshing floor or wine from the wine vat that others give. You and your households are free to eat the rest of it anytime and anyplace—it's your wages for your work at the Tent of Meeting. By offering the best part, you'll avoid guilt, you won't desecrate the holy offerings of the People of Israel, and you won't die."
Reflections: Moses continues to lay out the system of offering, which will provide for both Aaron and his sons, and the Levites, the tribe of Israel charged with administering the rites in the tent of the meeting (not the most holy place). Just as the Lord was the inheritance for Aaron and his sons, so with the Levites, the Lord was their inheritance, since they had no inheritance of land. But instead of having to work the land for their produce, the Levites were ministers in the temple and received a tithe (a tenth) of the profits of those who worked the land. Therefore, the people could not be jealous of the ministers since they worked in the temple, and the ministers could not be jealous of the people since they had to work the land for their income. God set up a fair system for each and provided for each in similar yet different ways.
Also, the principle was in place that the Levites too would take a tenth of what they received and offer it back to Aaron and the priests. Therefore, they were also an example of giving first fruits back to God who has given them all things.
These are great models for us to consider today as we are generous with all that God has given us. Whether we work in the church like I do, or earn a living in the world, all we have is from God. Giving our first fruits back to God acknowledges He is the giver of all good things and also helps the Church to continue its mission to reach the world with the Gospel through both the ministers and the lay people working together with the gifts God has given each.
Mark 14:66-72
The Rooster Crowed
66-67While all this was going on, Peter was down in the courtyard. One of the Chief Priest's servant girls came in and, seeing Peter warming himself there, looked hard at him and said, "You were with the Nazarene, Jesus."68He denied it: "I don't know what you're talking about." He went out on the porch. A rooster crowed. 69-70The girl spotted him and began telling the people standing around, "He's one of them." He denied it again. After a little while, the bystanders brought it up again. "You've got to be one of them. You've got 'Galilean' written all over you." 71-72Now Peter got really nervous and swore, "I never laid eyes on this man you're talking about." Just then the rooster crowed a second time. Peter remembered how Jesus had said, "Before a rooster crows twice, you'll deny me three times." He collapsed in tears.
Reflections: Here we have one of the most poignant scenes in the bible. Peter, the super disciple, who pledged he would never deny Jesus shrinks back in fear as the servant girl identifies him as a colleague of Jesus. After 3 denials just as Jesus had prophesied, Peter realizes what he has done and collapses in tears. This was a low point in Peter’s career, which I am sure many times he looked back to as we see him preaching in Acts and leadings many thousands to the same Lord and Savior he had thrice denied. This is not all too dissimilar to Paul, who had likewise denied Jesus in the form of persecuting and martyring Christians, like Saint Stephen. Two of the greatest ambassadors of Christ were born out of a crucible of denial and outright rejection of Jesus.
These two examples remind us that we are never too far from God’s grace and mercy, and God will never waste an experience. God can use our past to shape our future and to His advantage if we are willing to repent and believe. While we may not have had as prolific of a denial as Peter, there are different ways we all succumb to this, as we face the pressure of conforming to the world. It is only in view of God’s mercy and a deep experience of it, that we begin a process of transformation to become the type of people God can use like he did Peter and Paul. Where are you at in this process? Have you hit a bottom of trying to live life on your own terms? As we surrender our need to be in control God can use us powerfully no matter what we have done under previous management!
Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble. Psalm 119:165
Peace to all of you who are in Christ. 1 Peter 5:1
You call us, God, to peace - not the peace of sleep, but the peace of people working together, helping one another and listening to one another. Make us instruments of your peace. Amen.
David’s Prayer
1-3 God! Please hurry to my rescue! God, come quickly to my side!
Those who are out to get me—
let them fall all over themselves.
Those who relish my downfall—
send them down a blind alley.
Give them a taste of their own medicine,
those gossips off clucking their tongues.
4 Let those on the hunt for you
sing and celebrate.
Let all who love your saving way
say over and over, "God is mighty!"
5 But I've lost it. I'm wasted.
God—quickly, quickly!
Quick to my side, quick to my rescue!
God, don't lose a minute.
Reflections: Again today we see David crying out to God for deliverance from his enemies and those who slight his name. Check on Psalm 40 for the similarities to this psalm. We see in the psalms the personal nature of David’s relationship with God, as he calls on God in prayer, praise and thanks. Though he is desperate for God’s intervention, he is confident that God will help him and this will result in bring praise to God and glory to His name. He knows that His trials though painful will bring glory to God. This gives us perspective when things don’t go our way as we model David’s trust in God and that God can use all of our situations for His glory!
Numbers 18:25-19:22
God spoke to Moses: "Speak to the Levites. Tell them, When you get the tithe from the People of Israel, the inheritance that I have assigned to you, you must tithe that tithe and present it as an offering to God. Your offerings will be treated the same as other people's gifts of grain from the threshing floor or wine from the wine vat. This is your procedure for making offerings to God from all the tithes you get from the People of Israel: give God's portion from these tithes to Aaron the priest. Make sure that God's portion is the best and holiest of everything you get. 30-32 "Tell the Levites, When you offer the best part, the rest will be treated the same as grain from the threshing floor or wine from the wine vat that others give. You and your households are free to eat the rest of it anytime and anyplace—it's your wages for your work at the Tent of Meeting. By offering the best part, you'll avoid guilt, you won't desecrate the holy offerings of the People of Israel, and you won't die."
Reflections: Moses continues to lay out the system of offering, which will provide for both Aaron and his sons, and the Levites, the tribe of Israel charged with administering the rites in the tent of the meeting (not the most holy place). Just as the Lord was the inheritance for Aaron and his sons, so with the Levites, the Lord was their inheritance, since they had no inheritance of land. But instead of having to work the land for their produce, the Levites were ministers in the temple and received a tithe (a tenth) of the profits of those who worked the land. Therefore, the people could not be jealous of the ministers since they worked in the temple, and the ministers could not be jealous of the people since they had to work the land for their income. God set up a fair system for each and provided for each in similar yet different ways.
Also, the principle was in place that the Levites too would take a tenth of what they received and offer it back to Aaron and the priests. Therefore, they were also an example of giving first fruits back to God who has given them all things.
These are great models for us to consider today as we are generous with all that God has given us. Whether we work in the church like I do, or earn a living in the world, all we have is from God. Giving our first fruits back to God acknowledges He is the giver of all good things and also helps the Church to continue its mission to reach the world with the Gospel through both the ministers and the lay people working together with the gifts God has given each.
Mark 14:66-72
The Rooster Crowed
66-67While all this was going on, Peter was down in the courtyard. One of the Chief Priest's servant girls came in and, seeing Peter warming himself there, looked hard at him and said, "You were with the Nazarene, Jesus."68He denied it: "I don't know what you're talking about." He went out on the porch. A rooster crowed. 69-70The girl spotted him and began telling the people standing around, "He's one of them." He denied it again. After a little while, the bystanders brought it up again. "You've got to be one of them. You've got 'Galilean' written all over you." 71-72Now Peter got really nervous and swore, "I never laid eyes on this man you're talking about." Just then the rooster crowed a second time. Peter remembered how Jesus had said, "Before a rooster crows twice, you'll deny me three times." He collapsed in tears.
Reflections: Here we have one of the most poignant scenes in the bible. Peter, the super disciple, who pledged he would never deny Jesus shrinks back in fear as the servant girl identifies him as a colleague of Jesus. After 3 denials just as Jesus had prophesied, Peter realizes what he has done and collapses in tears. This was a low point in Peter’s career, which I am sure many times he looked back to as we see him preaching in Acts and leadings many thousands to the same Lord and Savior he had thrice denied. This is not all too dissimilar to Paul, who had likewise denied Jesus in the form of persecuting and martyring Christians, like Saint Stephen. Two of the greatest ambassadors of Christ were born out of a crucible of denial and outright rejection of Jesus.
These two examples remind us that we are never too far from God’s grace and mercy, and God will never waste an experience. God can use our past to shape our future and to His advantage if we are willing to repent and believe. While we may not have had as prolific of a denial as Peter, there are different ways we all succumb to this, as we face the pressure of conforming to the world. It is only in view of God’s mercy and a deep experience of it, that we begin a process of transformation to become the type of people God can use like he did Peter and Paul. Where are you at in this process? Have you hit a bottom of trying to live life on your own terms? As we surrender our need to be in control God can use us powerfully no matter what we have done under previous management!
Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble. Psalm 119:165
Peace to all of you who are in Christ. 1 Peter 5:1
You call us, God, to peace - not the peace of sleep, but the peace of people working together, helping one another and listening to one another. Make us instruments of your peace. Amen.
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