From: "Heidy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
The Death of Self-Sufficiency
Allen Harris
The Rock lay in ruins. On the most important night of his life?on the most important
night in history?this man known as Peter, "the Rock," sat alone in a dark corner
weeping.
He was not used to this; such tender moments of brokenheartedness were unfamiliar to
him. He was bold! He was impetuous! And now, he was completely undone. The Rock was
shattered.
What could have brought down such a rugged, strong, street-smart workhorse as Peter?
He couldn't believe it had happened. The scene continually replayed in his mind:
A servant girl. For all my grandstanding and big talk, my bravado broke at the feet of
a teenage girl.
His denial of Christ shocked Peter. It had been only a few hours since the Lord was
arrested in Gethsemane. The fiery disciple certainly wasn't timid then. In fact, as
the
guards reached for Jesus, Peter reached for his sword.
With one swift movement, the weapon left Peter's belt, sliced through the air, and
wounded an opponent. Terribly outnumbered and with no hope of winning a battle,
Peter's courage overwhelmed his wisdom and led him to action.
(Luke 22:47-51)
This proclivity to act before thinking had become a defining characteristic for Peter.
That same night, just before the arrest, he proved that his mouth and mind were
not always in sync. It was not often that Peter would outright refute the words of
Jesus, but the discussion over dinner proved more than Peter could calmly bear. When
Jesus revealed that the disciples would abandon Him, Peter thought to correct his
Lord: "Even though all may fall away, yet I will not" (Mark 14:29). At the time, Peter
simply could not imagine stepping aside while Jesus was in trouble.
A similar scene had taken place years earlier, when Peter reacted so strongly that he
received Jesus' sharpest rebuke. As the Lord began to reveal God's plan for His
death and resurrection, Peter had declared, "God forbid it, Lord! This shall never
happen to you!" (Matthew 16:22). Jesus' response cut deeply: "Get behind Me, Satan!
You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests,
but man's" (Matthew 16:23).
That was the day Peter first realized that his perspective was off. That was when he
discovered Jesus was unlike any leader the world had ever seen. For a man like Peter,
the notion of strength in humility would take some getting used to.
As his mind continued to roll back in time, Peter's thoughts fell upon his greatest
success: his declaration of faith. He remembered with crystal clarity how Jesus'
question hung in the air. "Who do you say that I am?"
While the other disciples were left speechless, unsure of how to respond, Peter
stepped up and cut through all the doubt, fear, and uncertainty. "You are the Christ,
the Son of the living God," he answered (Matthew 16:16). And what an answer it was! He
would never forget the joy and excitement in his Savior's eyes at that moment. It was
then that Jesus gave him the name "Peter." It was more than a mere name change,
however. That moment marked the beginning of an entirely new man.
Until now, Peter thought that this string of actions was leading him toward monumental
success. He was wrong.
Instead, these events led him into his greatest humiliation. His strength had become a
liability. In order to be used by God, Peter's self-confidence and self-sufficiency
had to be broken. And, in a challenge by a small servant girl, they were.
Jesus Christ died that day. What history often overlooks, however, is that something
in Peter died as well. His boasting, pride, and brash bravado were laid to rest as
the new Peter finally emerged. This was a man who was marked by tenderness,
compassion, and humility. This was the passionate pastor who would never again forget
where he had come from, nor the remarkable, life-changing salvation that had been so
freely given to him.
Years later, as he looked back over the highlights of his life, Peter showed himself
to be a much different man than the impetuous fighter we see in the Gospels. As he
instructed his churches, which virtues did he espouse? Did he advocate the boldness,
veracity, and headstrong action that characterized his early years with Christ? No, we
see in his writing the marks of a changed man.
Diligence, moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness,
brotherly kindness, and love . . . these are the things Peter knew would make all the
difference. "For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having
forgotten his purification from his former sins" (2 Peter 1:9).
Peter reminds us that quite often, our usefulness to Christ is hindered by our own
sense of strength and power.
It took the interrogation of a small servant girl to bring Peter to his knees. What
will it take for you?
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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