Peter is a disciple that many people find it easy to identify with. Certainly that's something I feel. Perhaps it's because he often doesn't get things right. One moment he's being told he is the rock on which the church will be built, the next he's being told 'get behind me, Satan!' He promises that he won't abandon Jesus, but before morning he's already denied his Lord three times. Like I said yesterday, it's all too easy to condemn the disciples without knowing how we would react to if we were in danger because of our faith. And Peter's story is one that can give us hope.
Peter's impulsiveness led him to be the first to make connections and declarations of loyalty, but it also got him into trouble. He fails Jesus on the night before his crucifixion, despite his earlier confidence in himself. He starts off well, daring to follow Jesus to the high priest's house, but once people notice him and start asking questions that could lead to his being arrested too he falls to pieces. (John 18, v15-18 and 25-27.) Matthew tells us that Peter "wept bitterly" when he realised what he'd done. I know there have been times when I've said or done something that denies Jesus' lordship of my life, and sometimes I've realised afterwards and deeply regretted it.
And yet Jesus forgives Peter and reassures him that he is still part of his plan. In John 21 we have a description of an encounter where Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him, mirroring the three times Peter betrayed him. And each time Jesus gives him a commission to care for his 'flock,' for the church. And he hints at how Peter will serve him in the future. Peter, who had denied Jesus to save his own skin, would eventually be executed for continuing to spread the good news of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection.
This encounter follows on from yet another miracle, (as if Jesus' appearance wasn't miracle enough!) that is reminiscent of one Jesus performed when he first called Peter. Perhaps it hints at a new beginning and a reminder of that first call to become 'fishers of men;' at how far the disciples have come and yet how far they still have to go. Perhaps it hints that from now on they must rely on God to provide for them, and at the presence of the Holy Spirit who will soon come to them and strengthen them. It is because they have the Spirit helping them that the disciples are able to achieve all that is done in spreading the gospel, and through the Spirit's help that many of them, including Peter, are able to stand firm in their faith and by martyred. His self-confidence had failed him- he knew now that he needed God's help.
It's through the Holy Spirit's help that even the most timid of us (and that's me!) can dare to serve Jesus, can dare to take risks to spread his good news. Risks in giving our money to charity or the church, risks in inviting friends to come to church or in talking to them about our faith, risks in practical service. In some parts of the world Christians still risk their lives just by believing. In this country we might be risking our reputation- our friends may think we're weird religious freaks, even that we're dangerous. But after what Jesus did for us, shouldn't we try to take those risks? But the best thing is to know that when we fail, he will, like with Peter, help us get up and start again.
Friday, 2 April 2010
Thursday, 1 April 2010
Easter responses: the disciples- and us.
This is the first of a series of posts on the responses of different people to the events of Easter- to Jesus' death and resurrection. Hopefully thinking about how the different actors in the story responded will help us think about our own response.
It's easy to condemn the disciples. They were with Jesus continuously for about three years, heard him talk, saw his miracles, and yet when it came to the test, they failed. Badly. All of them.
They sat at the last supper, listening to Jesus' talk of what would happen to him without understanding. They followed him to the garden of Gethsemane, but they fell asleep. They talked big about their loyalty to Jesus- but ran away when the authorities turned up to arrest him.
It's easy to condemn the disciples for their stupidity, their lack of action. But would we be any better? I don't think so, really. Maybe some of us would. I'm not sure I want to find out what I would do in a life or death situation. But I'm no hero.
The difference now is that we know what happened next. Jesus didn't stay dead, he rose! Knowing that, we have less excuse than the disciples for not doing what we know we should for Jesus because we know that he won. And we have the holy Spirit to help us.
And yet the disciples were forgiven, were accepted back into Jesus' friendship and given the task of building the church. Even Peter (more on that tomorrow). Despite their failure (and presumably the knowledge that they might fail again) they were still willing to take risks for Christ. In the same way God forgives us for all the times we let him down, all the times we pass up on an opportunity to stand up for him. Thank God for that!
It's easy to condemn the disciples. They were with Jesus continuously for about three years, heard him talk, saw his miracles, and yet when it came to the test, they failed. Badly. All of them.
They sat at the last supper, listening to Jesus' talk of what would happen to him without understanding. They followed him to the garden of Gethsemane, but they fell asleep. They talked big about their loyalty to Jesus- but ran away when the authorities turned up to arrest him.
It's easy to condemn the disciples for their stupidity, their lack of action. But would we be any better? I don't think so, really. Maybe some of us would. I'm not sure I want to find out what I would do in a life or death situation. But I'm no hero.
The difference now is that we know what happened next. Jesus didn't stay dead, he rose! Knowing that, we have less excuse than the disciples for not doing what we know we should for Jesus because we know that he won. And we have the holy Spirit to help us.
And yet the disciples were forgiven, were accepted back into Jesus' friendship and given the task of building the church. Even Peter (more on that tomorrow). Despite their failure (and presumably the knowledge that they might fail again) they were still willing to take risks for Christ. In the same way God forgives us for all the times we let him down, all the times we pass up on an opportunity to stand up for him. Thank God for that!
Sunday, 28 March 2010
This joyful Eastertide
It's nearly Easter again. I like Easter for many reasons. For a start, a few days off is always welcome, and it seems a long time since the Christmas break. Also things seem less rushed that at Christmas- you feel under less obligation to visit every relative you possibly can in a week and to go back to work feeling tired and full of turkey- probably you've enjoyed the Christmas season, but part of you is glad to get back to normal routine.
There's less pressure surrounding Easter, fewer expectations, less hype. I find it easier to celebrate the Easter season for its' own sake, for the meaning behind it, than I do at Christmas. That's not to criticize Christmas- in many ways it's a festival I love celebrating. But there's something to be said for the more relaxed way of celebrating that is demonstrated at Easter. And of course the weather's usually nicer at Easter- three years ago I remembe having a barbecue and egg hunt in a friend's garden on Easter Sunday. The following year, however, it snowed!
You might not realise it from popular culture, but Easter is at least as important as Christmas in the Christian calendar. Some reasons why I think it's not so popular I've already talked about on this blog. While at Christmas we think in wonder of the powerful God, huge beyond our imaginations, who chose to become a vulnerable, dependent baby born to a poor woman in a strange town, at Easter the mystery is different. And humanity doesn't come out of it so well.
On Good Friday we think in wonder about how God's son allowed himself to be tortured and killed by us, the people he created. It's the second part of the mystery of God becoming one of us that we celebrate at Christmas. Saturday is a day of anticipation and waiting, of thinking of how the disciples, the men and women who had followed Jesus, must have felt when he had gone and they were alone.
And then on Easter Sunday we think about the greatest miracle- that Jesus rose from the dead. We praise him for defeating death, for providing a way for us to get rid of the consequences of our selfishness and all the times we put ourselves before God. It's a time for joy and celebration. It always seems a shame to me that there are very few Easter 'carols' and that singing (in public, in services, in schools) isn't as common as at Christmas. There are Easter hymns, but they're nowhere near as well known as their Christmas counterparts. I expect the Victorians are to blame somehow.
So I'm looking forward to Easter. I've been struggling a bit with my faith and things lately. Christmas wasn't a relaxing time for me, and a few days now where I can focus on God- and in fact on my own needs, rather than trying to push myself to the side as I think and worry and pray about other people. I find it quite hard to pray for myself. Maybe this Easter I'll get a chance to work on that- as long as I don't get bogged down into feeling lonely as most of my friends celebrate time off with their partners or go back to their parents.
But most important of all, Easter is a chance to focus on praising God. Maybe this year I'll make it to the sunrise service at church, or maybe I won't. But I will spend some time trying to focus on God, praising him for the most awesome moment in history- the time when he gave himself to rescue us and shatter the power of our selfishness.
There's less pressure surrounding Easter, fewer expectations, less hype. I find it easier to celebrate the Easter season for its' own sake, for the meaning behind it, than I do at Christmas. That's not to criticize Christmas- in many ways it's a festival I love celebrating. But there's something to be said for the more relaxed way of celebrating that is demonstrated at Easter. And of course the weather's usually nicer at Easter- three years ago I remembe having a barbecue and egg hunt in a friend's garden on Easter Sunday. The following year, however, it snowed!
You might not realise it from popular culture, but Easter is at least as important as Christmas in the Christian calendar. Some reasons why I think it's not so popular I've already talked about on this blog. While at Christmas we think in wonder of the powerful God, huge beyond our imaginations, who chose to become a vulnerable, dependent baby born to a poor woman in a strange town, at Easter the mystery is different. And humanity doesn't come out of it so well.
On Good Friday we think in wonder about how God's son allowed himself to be tortured and killed by us, the people he created. It's the second part of the mystery of God becoming one of us that we celebrate at Christmas. Saturday is a day of anticipation and waiting, of thinking of how the disciples, the men and women who had followed Jesus, must have felt when he had gone and they were alone.
And then on Easter Sunday we think about the greatest miracle- that Jesus rose from the dead. We praise him for defeating death, for providing a way for us to get rid of the consequences of our selfishness and all the times we put ourselves before God. It's a time for joy and celebration. It always seems a shame to me that there are very few Easter 'carols' and that singing (in public, in services, in schools) isn't as common as at Christmas. There are Easter hymns, but they're nowhere near as well known as their Christmas counterparts. I expect the Victorians are to blame somehow.
So I'm looking forward to Easter. I've been struggling a bit with my faith and things lately. Christmas wasn't a relaxing time for me, and a few days now where I can focus on God- and in fact on my own needs, rather than trying to push myself to the side as I think and worry and pray about other people. I find it quite hard to pray for myself. Maybe this Easter I'll get a chance to work on that- as long as I don't get bogged down into feeling lonely as most of my friends celebrate time off with their partners or go back to their parents.
But most important of all, Easter is a chance to focus on praising God. Maybe this year I'll make it to the sunrise service at church, or maybe I won't. But I will spend some time trying to focus on God, praising him for the most awesome moment in history- the time when he gave himself to rescue us and shatter the power of our selfishness.
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