Calvin Synod Herald, 2011 (112. évfolyam, 3-12. szám)
2011-03-01 / 3-4. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD 5 Don’t Look At Me Like That And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times. ” — Luke 22:60 President Jimmy Carter tells about sitting in a church one Sunday in Plains, Georgia. He said he couldn’t remember the sermon, but he never forgot the title: "If You Were Arrested For Being A Christian, Would There Be Enough Evidence To Convict You? ” He said that although he was a Sunday School teacher and a Deacon, he probably could talk his way out of it. And it poses the same question for each of us as well. Could a prosecutor get a conviction? Or could a defense attorney find enough loopholes to avoid my conviction? Rooster or Chicken The story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden is the same for every man and woman, yielding to sin and fear of facing God with the truth of our disobedience. It is the same with the story of Peter, so noted for his bold words and behavior. Faced with life threatening danger he chickened out: "Woman, I do not know him. ” Then the rooster crowed, as it also crows for us, and we know too that we have denied our dear Lord, Jesus. Worse still, Jesus knows it! With that whole noisy crowd at Pilate’s court, when the cock crowed, Jesus looked, but not anywhere. He picked out Peter - said not a word - just looked. No word was needed for Peter. He remembered his earlier promises, as we do ours. We too deny our Christ. Is That All There Is? The story of Peter and the crucified Lord doesn’t end there. No, except for one, Jesus’ disciples are not at the cross - and it’s John, not Peter. Perhaps he was still afraid to show his face. He was at the grave on Sunday, with the disciples in the Upper Room when Jesus appeared again, and among them at Jesus’ ascension. But the real story of Peter’s apostleship begins on Pentecost. Someone might say, What could God do with a big-mouthed braggart who talked the talk, but couldn’t walk the walk? Many people look at others in their church and wonder how they could possibly be of help. In the black dialect play “Green Pastures,” Moses accepts his mission from God, to lead the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt, saying, “I ain’t much, Lord, but I’se all I got.” God chose stuttering Moses to speak to the pharaoh, David to fight Goliath, and Gideon with just 300 men to fight an army. God chose the friends of His Son to win the world. God doesn’t need our strength, only our hearts. He is mighty! Someone said, “A feeble, nominal Christianity is the greatest obstacle to the conversion of the world.” In the Revelation to John, God said, “I know your deeds, you are neither hot nor cold. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth. " — Rev. 3:15-16 He’s Looking At You One of America’s great preachers said, “God’s providence is not marked in baskets lowered from the sky, but through the hearts and hands of those who love him.” He continued, “The boy without shoes made the proper answer when a cruel woman asked, ‘If God loved you, wouldn’t he send you food and shoes.’ The boy replied, ‘God told someone, but he forgot.’ “ The look of Jesus at Peter was an awful feeling for Jesus’ good friend and follower. Perhaps you may have seen that look from your parent, a school teacher, or a pastor, when you were inattentive or misbehaving, You may have thought, ‘Don’t look at me like that.” Like Peter, we’ve all let Jesus down - but that look! He still is counting on us as He counted on Peter. Like Peter we should all wipe away tears from our eyes, for disappointing our Savior. But then, when we realize He is also counting on us, we need to see what He wants us to do. Perhaps there is another child in need, and we had so much else to do we forgot to send our check. HE is looking. Is there a job that needs to be done, a church office we’ve been too busy to accept, a church member who hasn’t been around lately and needs to know we care, or ... HE is looking. Today’s world is still ours to lead to Christ. Don’t say, “Don’t look at me like that!” The same suffering Lord, who gave that look at Peter, HE is looking at you. Rev. Albert W. Kovács One Look How feeble human efforts prove Against temptation ’s pow ’r! E ’en Peter ’s flaming zeal and love Are vanquish’d in an hour. His fairest purpose will not stand: Behold his guilty shame! Lord, keep me by thy mighty hand, Or I shall do the same. At length the sujf’ring Savior turns, And looks with pitying eyes; Peter relents, withdraws, and mourns, And loud for mercy cries. So boundless is Jehovah ’s grace, He hears the humble pray ’r; If I am found in Peter ’s case, I would not still despair. One look, dear Lord, the rock will melt, One look will make me whole, One look will pardon all my guilt, One look will save my soul. C.M. “The Hymnal” - Reformed Church in the U.S. O Lord, like Jesus’ good friend Peter, who when he foundered in faith was led by the Spirit back to the company of the disciples and renewed by the vision of Christ among them all; let me see for myself the face of Jesus, and be moved by His piercing eyes, that I may dare to go forth boldly in His service and proclaim His mercy; and let me see those for whom He opened His hands for the nails of the cross, nor forget the outstretched hands of Thy children in need; I pray in Jesus’ my Savior’s name. Amen.
