"I Do Not Know The Man!"

"Today's Devotion" For March 24, 2005

Read: Matthew 26:31-35; Romans 12:1-3

"I DO NOT KNOW THE MAN!"

"But Peter declared, 'Even if I have to die with You, I will never disown You.'"
(Mt. 26:35)

I suspect that most of us have heard or used the phrase, "Famous Last Words," at sometime in our lives. It's a phrase that has alternately been used to refer to the final utterances of famous people and the "braggadocios" declarations of well-intentioned persons who never seem to follow through on their declarations. It can be reasonably said that the latter reference is an appropriate description of the result of sin in the lives of Christians. While declaring one's faith in Christ as Lord and Savior, too often there is no follow through in sharing Him with others or living as one of His disciples.

There is perhaps no better example in the New Testament of such "braggadocio," and its subsequent lack of "follow through," than Peter's response to Jesus' warning on the way to Gethsemane, as noted by Matthew. Jesus warned the Twelve that the prophecy of Zechariah (13:7-9) was about to be fulfilled. They would flee from Him shortly, as the soldiers came to arrest Him in the Garden. They all protested, but Peter even more strenuously than the rest. To Peter's response, Jesus brings the warning that "before the rooster crowed" Peter would deny Jesus three times. in their fleeing in Gethsemane, they all protested the application, Peter even more strenuously than the others. Jesus' response to this "braggadocio" is to let Peter know that before the rooster crowed he would deny Jesus three times. Peter's denial would be a complete denial. Subsequently, as events unfolded, Matthew records that Peter "began to curse and swear, saying, 'I do not know the Man!'" (26:74). Thus, Peter's declaration that he would never deny Jesus reflect the very essence of "famous last words"--self-importance.

We're no different from Peter at many times in our lives. We depend on ourselves and our own "strength" rather than putting our lives in God's hands. In so doing, we allow Sin to prevent us from serving our Lord and Savior faithfully and boldly confessing Him before the world. If we depend only upon our knowledge, emotions, common sense and other personal abilities and thinking, to provide us with the strength and purpose to live in Jesus and live for Him, we can be certain that we are ill prepared to overcome the temptation to go the way of the world. To depend upon our own reason or strength to come to Jesus and to serve Him, is to end up denying Him when our faith and life are challenged. When we try to stand on our own we will fail. When we trust in Him with true humility we will be victorious. He doesn't need us to defend Him, just be faithful to Him. He calls us to remember that we are held in the very palm of our Father's hand. By God's grace in Christ, we have the power to let our "famous last words" be words of witness to the grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness that is God's gift to us through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Prayer: Father, "famous last words" are too often the best way to describe my failures to live in Your forgiveness and love. Too often I find myself to be like Peter, declaring my "good intentions" of faith, but failing miserably to carry them out in my life. On one day I might declare Your love to others and on the next day I'm doing something unloving to my neighbor or acting in a manner inconsistent with Your Will. Father, I ask You to forgive me for such sins in my life, and remind me daily, by the power of Your Word and Spirit, that I can't overcome Sin by myself. Remind me that I can't overcome Sin's temptations unless You are with me and Your Word and Spirit are guiding me. Lead me to be a faithful witness of Jesus Christ to the world so that I might never be found to say, "I do not know the Man!" In the precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright © 2005 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.