Thursday, April 9, 2020
Cock-a-doodle-doo
Mark 14:29
Peter said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.”
Peter is one of the most colourful people we meet in the New Testament. Peter says exactly what he feels and what he means. What you see is what you get with Peter. The way Peter has behaved and how this has been recorded in the scripture exposes Peter as a person like so many of us in so many ways.
Peter and Jesus get into a dust-up over faithfulness and commitment just before Jesus is betrayed and arrested by the Roman guard in a sting operation in the dead of night orchestrated by the Jewish leadership.
Jesus, knowing that these things are about to unfold as He was on death row as it were, gave some last words to His disciples. He was trying to ensure that they did not panic at His arrest, or trial, or execution saying, “But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.” Mark 14:28.
Peter missed the issue about the resurrection because he was stung by the declaration by Jesus that many of the disciples would falter in their commitment to Him as the events would unfold.
As noted earlier, Peter is just like us. Many of us make commitments that we are unable to keep. Today, let’s not focus on commitments generally, just our commitments to God. We have gone to meet a pastor or counsellor, or attended a church service, or sometimes, just at home and feel convicted about something, and we make promises and commitments to God.
We promise to stop some things. We promise to stop committing a particular sin. We promise to stop a particular behaviour. We promise to cut out a particular vice. We promise to change our attitude and approach to specific things. And then we don’t really stop, except, maybe, for a short while.
We promise to start some things. We promise to start doing some different things. We promise to start doing some things differently. We promise to be more active in church, or bible reading or prayer. We promise to really work at change. And then we don’t really start, except, maybe, for a short while.
We are like Peter, passionate in our declaration of commitment but different when the circumstances of life actually confront us. Peter went far out, “he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”” Mark 14:31.
Just a few days before there were a lot of people in the crowd who were jumping and waving and shouting Hosanna! But Jesus knew that when the going got tough, they would fall away. Peter too.
Jesus addressed Peter this way, “Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.” John 13:38. Then this happened.
“Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, “This man was also with Him.” But he denied Him, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.” And after a little while another saw him and said, “You also are of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, “Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying!” – Cock-a-doodle-doo!
I live in the city, Georgetown city, which means that in many areas there is urban, suburban, and rural life all mixed into one. In my neighbourhood, we still hear the roosters crowing, although I think that there is something wrong with their clocks.
That crowing in the morning should challenge each of us to see how by our living, conduct, and unfaithfulness we have denied Jesus. Not just denied him three times in one night like Peter did, but how many times we have denied him since our last commitment.
Many of you reading this live in big cities where you don’t come into contact with rural life and creatures like chickens in a coop. The rooster was the time marker for the times in which this story took place.
Modern life has many new markers like clock radios and digital alarms on phones. It may even be the passing early morning commuter train or those compactor trucks operated by the city garbage collectors. Whatever it is, you have your signal that night is over and a new day is starting, and that signal makes you think.
If we reflect on our lives, we don’t say, like Peter, that we don’t know Him, but we often live like we don’t. Many of us Christians seem unable to keep our public and private commitments to faithfully follow Christ and live right.
Every year, the drama of the crucifixion gets replayed for us at Easter readings, cantatas, plays, movies, and sermons. This year the churches are empty, but we’re in lockdown with a steady stream of content that could pull us this way and then that. We’re going to make promises and commitments to God, then COVID-19 will pass, and we’ll start living again.
Once life returns to “normal” check yourself whenever you hear a “rooster”.
Cock-a-doodle-doo!
Think on these things:
- Have you been keeping your commitments to Jesus?
- Do you participate fully in the activities and ministries of your church?
- What are you learning about commitment during the COVID-19 lockdown?
Prayer focus:
Let us pray today that we would be diligent about keeping our commitments to Jesus.
In His Grace
Pastor Alex
Notes:
- Cock-a-doodle-doo was originally published on Thursday, March 29, 2018 and was revised for publication today during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- For this Easter weekend, there will be 5 devotionals from today through to Monday
