The Hearts of Jesus and Peter

For bible study tonight, we studied Luke 22:39-62, as follows:

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives

³⁹Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. ⁴⁰On reaching the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." ⁴¹He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ⁴²"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." ⁴³An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. ⁴⁴And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

⁴⁵When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. ⁴⁶"Why are you sleeping?" he asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."

Jesus Arrested

⁴⁷While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, ⁴⁸but Jesus asked him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"

⁴⁹When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen, they said, "Lord, should we strike with our swords?" ⁵⁰And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.

⁵¹But Jesus answered, "No more of this!" And he touched the man's ear and healed him.

⁵²Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? ⁵³Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns."

Peter Disowns Jesus

⁵⁴Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. ⁵⁵But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. ⁵⁶A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, "This man was with him."

⁵⁷But he denied it. "Woman, I don't know him," he said.

⁵⁸A little later someone else saw him and said, "You also are one of them."
"Man, I am not!" Peter replied.

⁵⁹About an hour later another asserted, "Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean."

⁶⁰Peter replied, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. ⁶¹The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times." ⁶²And he went outside and wept bitterly.

This was a powerful devotion, as the events described Jesus' final activities before his arrest. At the end of the study, we were asked to think about what we learned from the encounters and the behaviours of Jesus and Peter (Peter is also the disciple that is assumed to have struck the guard with the sword, as mentioned in the gospel of ???). There were a few thoughts and ideas. But what struck me the most is how I felt the passage really spoke to me personally, on a night that I really needed the reminder.

First to Peter. Peter the zealous, hot-tempered disciple. At times I am unwiling to admit this, but the man often reminds me of myself. Just a chapter earlier Peter had declared his upmost loyalty to Jesus, saying that he would accompany his LORD to jail, and even to death. A few days later he had turned into a scaredy cat, only following Jesus at a distance and denying Christ three times, just as predicted, before the rooster crowed. As a consequence to his denail of Christ, suffered the gult of knowing his betraying actions and wept bitterly. I think back over the years of my life and remember the amount of needless suffering I had put myself through as a result of not obeying God, not putting God first in my life. How often had I denied Christ? How often had I set idealistic ways to live my life as a good Christian, only to crumble and succumb to my own weakness or the world's pulls when put under pressure? Like Peter, I could not and cannot always practice what I preach. Usually, I let the control freak in me take over, and want to do things my way instead of God's way. It is only until recently, after much heartache, that I had finally given up trying to control my life to a tee. Thankfully, God's grace is sufficient enough for us. Jesus is always willing to give us another chance if we repent. Though my rebellious years have brought about much pain, grief, and struggles for myself, God has been using these as lessons to refine my heart for a long obedience. I can now say that I have personally experienced the importance of seeking God's Kingdom First (and all these things will be given unto you as well).

For a good number of years I have been trying to work on a relationship in my life that I feel is not quite where it should be at. Many times, the little effort that I feel from the other party leaves me feelings hurt and discouraged. Jesus too, felt the pain of being betrayed and let down by the ones he loved. His disciples had fallen asleep when Jesus asked them to stay awake to pray with them on Mount Olive. Judas had betrayed Jesus with a kiss. Peter had denied Christ three times. How much would that have hurt? Jesus, being fully God and fully human, must have felt the jabs in his heart when his friends turned against him. Jesus never scolded anyone, or used rash and harsh methods, like how the disciple struck the ear of the servant priest in a rush of anger. No, Jesus is gentle. He never said a word. He knew the cup of suffering that was to come, and though he asked the Father to please take away the cup if he could, but Jesus still prayed that "Thy Will be done". I'd like that to be my prayer too, "Thy Will be done". If I live my life knowing that I am pleasing God, then so many other things would just fade into the background. For how awesome would it be to do the will of God, even if it is very hard work. For God will grant us the strength to face the challenges we must face in life, to deal with the probelms that we have no control, and he will still say to us, "Be still, and know that I am God."