Jesus told them, “Tonight all of you will desert me.” … Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same. [Matthew 26:31a,33-35 (NLT)]
I think the worst thing my parents could say was that they were disappointed in me. Knowing I hadn’t lived up to their high expectations, I’d hang my head in shame as they added, “We expected far better from you.” I never wanted to disappoint them but, unfortunately, like every child, I often did.
While parents tend to envision having the perfect child—one who never disobeys, makes unwise choices, or gets a bad grade—God doesn’t operate under that delusion. Knowing us, He has realistic expectations of His fallen children. Nevertheless, while He understands that we can’t live up to His standard of perfection, God does expect us to do our best and He provides the guidance and power to do so. Even so, we’ll falter more times than we can count and, when that happens, rather than being disappointed in us, God is disappointed for us.
When they deserted the Lord that Thursday evening in Gethsemane, none of the disciples behaved much like true believers. Although the others also may have denied knowing Jesus that night, only Peter’s denials were recorded for posterity. While Jesus was being questioned, slandered, spit upon, blindfolded, and beaten, Peter was warming himself by a fire. Then the disciple who claimed to be ready to die for Jesus failed Him miserably by denying even knowing the Lord. Jesus wasn’t surprised in the disciples’ desertion and Peter’s betrayal; He expected it. In fact, He predicted it.
When Jesus appeared Easter morning, He didn’t tell the disciples how disappointed He was in them or shame them for their desertion. Instead, Jesus’ first words were words of love and reconciliation, “Shalom…peace be with you.” Then, instead of chastening them for their fear and doubt at His resurrected presence, Jesus ate with them! Rather than single out Peter and censure him for his denials, Jesus simply asked the disciple if he loved Him. Despite Peter’s previous failures, Jesus loved and forgave the man and appointed him to “feed my sheep.”
Peter’s failings didn’t define him and neither should ours. Peter denied Christ and yet he was in that room with the other disciples on Easter morning. A betrayal doesn’t have to send us away from Jesus into the depths of despair, as it did for Judas. A betrayal can bring us closer to Christ, as it did for Peter. Repentance and forgiveness turned Peter, the betrayer, into Peter, the Rock, the powerful preacher and fearless leader of the early Church!
Like Peter and the disciples, we are flawed people. As much as we want to honor and please God, there will be times we make poor choices and disappoint Him. The good news is that God never will disappoint us! Although He grieves for every one of our bad choices, He never will leave us, stop believing in us, or take His Holy Spirit from us.
Devotions of the Heart 