Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Day 9-Only human

My Prayer: Psalm 118
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.


The Reading: Matthew 25-26
Matthew 26:31-36 (New International Version)
Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial
31Then Jesus told them, "This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:
" 'I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'[a] 32But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."
33Peter replied, "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will."
34"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times."
35But Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the other disciples said the same.

My Thoughts: They all failed. These are the original disciples we're talking about and they all failed to claim Jesus when it came right down to it. Judas was the one who betrayed him for silver and Peter is the one who denied Jesus repeatedly, but the rest just ran away in fear. And these were the disciples! They failed in a big way, but then...they accomplished the work that Jesus must have known they could do. It would be tough to pick friends if you already knew how they would let you down, wouldn't it? It's good that we don't have that problem. And that Jesus also knew what these men could do, would do, to change the world. And he chose them anyway. Just like he knows how I'm going to fail, to stumble, but there must be something in me, in you if he's picked you, that's he's going to use to change the world. The world? That seems impossible, but I know he can use my life accomplish his work in this world. And yours, too. If we let him.

And a song (I have to figure out how to add mp3's to this...anyone?) I had a very serious song by Michael W. Smith here that matches the Psalm...but then, I decided to go with theology by Billy Joel brought to mind by my heading.