something of how Jesus deals with us and responds to our humanity. He began to call down curses on himself. [Mark 14:71]

Transcription

1 He began to call down curses on himself. [Mark 14:71] Reading: Mark 14:66-72 Peter is perhaps one of the most interesting and revealing characters in the New Testament. There is honesty about his self revelation in Mark s gospel which often suggests him as an example of how fickle human nature can be. I guess no New Testament character has been subjected to criticism of his behaviour by preachers seeking to make a point like Peter. And this is the danger of course, in making ourselves vulnerable we become exposed to the judgements of others. But equally here and there in the gospel we are generously allowed to see Peter for who he is, a man who can never quite live above his feelings nor within his intentions and who perhaps should be viewed with a little more charity and fellow feeling as his responses allow us to see something of how Jesus deals with us and responds to our humanity. On the night Jesus was betrayed, here in the courtyard of the High Priest, we see the vulnerability of Peter on display for all to see as Mark tells us, Peter began to call down curses on himself. [71] After again being challenged as to his connection with Jesus and the disciple group, he finally and angrily erupts, denying any connection with Jesus. The Authorised Bible says he began to curse and swear, but the cursing and swearing were not just his frustration in being recognised; as the compilers of later translations of the bible realised the text here is more of an expression of an inner conflict going on his mind and heart. The Greek word here suggests not that he uttered a number of 1 P a g e

2 meaningless expletives, but that he curses himself the word we would recognise as anathema. He wished himself anathema despised by God, offensive to God, if it was true that he knew Jesus. Which he did of course. We might suppose he does it for effect in the hope it convinces those in the courtyard with him, but by it he seems to make an oath that puts himself outside of God s favour, away from God. It seems a self destructive thing to do and maybe helps us to understand his behaviour in the weeks following the resurrection and until his meeting with Jesus by the Sea of Tiberius [John 21] and his acceptance again of his part in the purposes of God. He had not only failed Christ but consciously knew in those hours in the courtyard that he was failing Christ. It explains too why when the cock crowed he broke down and wept. [72] Here was someone who expected better of himself: even if all fall away, I will not [Mark 14:29] even if I have to die with you, I ll never disown you [ibid 31] Only to discover he is not all that he thought he was or wanted to be. In fact, maybe for the first time, Peter finds himself face to face with who he is. And he doesn t like it. Big words, big promises, but when it came to it, he was as vulnerable and frightened as the rest of us. He knows what he is doing even though he doesn t want to do it; and in denying Christ he knows he fulfils exactly what Jesus said those few hours ago in spite of all his protestations to the contrary, and he began to call down curses on himself [ibid] 2 P a g e

3 Not that we have any sense subsequently that Jesus held all this against him, he didn t judge him by his denial. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He anticipated it would happen. If the message on the Resurrection morning go tell his disciples and Peter [Mark 16:7] and the events at the Sea of Tiberius tell us anything it tells us that Jesus accepts who we are and what we bring. Stripped away of all pretention any of us can only bring what we have, and it is always enough. That was the lesson Peter learned. Gethsemane had said it, when Peter slept as Jesus prayed. the spirit is willing, but the body is weak [Mark 14:37] There is the truth of it. Peter remembers it all, these pieces of his story. Peter tells Mark. The journey to accepting himself leaves Peter vulnerable and exposed, overwhelmed by his failure. Maybe we have travelled that road. Maybe we find ourselves on that road. Bill Metcalfe wrote a song some years ago which was rejected, I understand, by the then Music Board. A Dedication Song written for Cadets, soon to be officers and engaged in public ministry, it spoke about the time to come in their lives, when faith proves faithless The theology must have been challenging at the time. But the truth is that good people can come to places when they find themselves shifting away from their best intentions, failing in their commitments to themselves, to family, to friends, to God. And that can happen with an awareness that creates the same kind of tension we see in the Courtyard of Caiaphas. 3 P a g e

4 We can fail. And for some, like Peter, that can be destructive. The crowd of used to be Salvationists are probably an easy and general example. Many of them never intended to find themselves outside of the fellowship. An absence of a week; and two weeks becomes three weeks and by week four other interests overshadow the things of the spiritual life. Or a hurt received and not resolved. Or legitimate demands from work, family... and the things of the Kingdom become crowded out. Not only Salvationists of course. It is true of all. We can fall on our spiritual road. We might not intend it or want it, but it happens. Paul says it to the Corinthians, So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don t fall. [I Corinthians 10:12] Because for some that falling means they never stand again in the cause of Christ. The bigger Army of used to be tells its own story. Just as Peter tells his own story when he writes in his first letter: Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for some-one to devour [1 Peter 5:6-8] He knows. He has been there. And he has also experienced the patience of Christ and the realisation that there is always a way back. It is he who curses himself for his failure. Jesus doesn t do that. He goes fishing. He carries the baggage of his failure into that conversation by the Sea of Tiberius. Jesus is there to understand, to release, to heal, to restore. 4 P a g e

5 There is another aspect of this idea to explore, and Peter says it when he speaks of the part played by the devil in our destructive ideas and choices. We have to recognise that our nature draws us into selfish behaviours. What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. [James 4:1, 2] so James writes to the first century Christian community. Paul in his convoluted way tells the same truth when he writes his testimony to Rome. I have a desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no the evil I do not want to do this is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it [Romans 7:18,-20] Or the devil. Whatever your theology might be. In his second letter Peter speaks of our wilful and self motivated falling away with a harsher and sharper truth: It would have been better for them (for us) not to know the way of righteousness, than to have known it and turned their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: A dog returns to its vomit and A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud [2 Peter 2:21,22] It is about choices. 5 P a g e

6 We shape ourselves the joy or fear Of which the coming life is made, And fill our Future's atmosphere With sunshine or with shade. The tissue of the Life to be We weave with colours all our own, And in the field of Destiny We reap as we have sown. [Raphael: John Greenleaf Whittier] Jesus asked What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? [Mark 8:36] Wondrous Deliverer! Sin forgiving Saviour! Cleanser of hearts! Unfailing friend and guide! No-one has ever trusted unavailing, No-one has claimed of his love and been denied [SASB 257:4 Oliver Cooke] Jesus remembered Peter on the resurrection morning. Jesus found Peter at Tiberius, and if our faith is true, Jesus is present here for us. The response to his grace and his invitation is our choice. We sell our integrity and character and our eternity pretty cheaply sometimes. And sometimes because somehow we have cursed ourselves; we have judged ourselves and the verdict is we are not good enough, we have failed. The gospel does not allow for failures. 6 P a g e