MATTHEW 26:69-75 BE FAITHFUL IN SMALL WAYS

Written by , Rector of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Richmond, Virginia
 

⁶⁹ Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said. ⁷⁰ But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. ⁷¹ Then he went out to the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
⁷² He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”
⁷³ After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away.”
⁷⁴ Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”
Immediately a rooster crowed. ⁷⁵ Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

It is hard for us to fathom a challenge more serious to our faith than the threat of death. The witness of the martyrs is so awesome and powerful because they did not waiver in their allegiance to Christ even when it promised a horrible and agonizing death. Their testimony is even more amazing when we consider that the vast majority of us are turned away by much less serious challenges.

Peter is sitting in the courtyard with the people of the street and members of the servant class. There were few people in the culture with less power than a servant girl, yet her attempt to connect him with Jesus was enough to cause Peter to deny the One he had proclaimed as Lord. And the second question, by whom was it raised? Again, it was another servant girl. And again, he denied that he even knew Jesus. But his statements give away his identity as a Galilean, so for a third time he is questioned by members of the underclass, and for a third time he denies his Lord, even with curses.

In our daily lives, we are unlikely to face life-threatening challenges to our faith. Yet there is always the question somewhere in our minds as to our ability to be able to stand firm under such persecution. It is really quite meaningless to expend our energy trying to answer that question. It is far more likely that we are going to deny Jesus in the everyday give and take of normal life. That is where we need to concentrate. If we spend our days making sure that we are faithful in the little things, then when the challenges are greater we will be prepared to face them, also.

My predicaments are theoretical and therefore my words are hollow, my Lord. Be with me in my conversations with friends, my actions in the workplace and my attitudes about people. Strengthen me by your Holy Spirit in the thoughts and action of my day so that I will not deny you in any way. In that way, may I be prepared to be your witness no matter the consequences. Amen

Attachment	Size
Download and Print This Devotional	95.76 KB