Oct 26 devotion - Sword Fight - John 18:11

John 18:11     Jesus commanded Peter, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?"

I used to fence with swords when I was a teenager. My friend Graeme and I somehow managed to purchase two foils in a second-hand shop. I think we originally bought them for a play we were doing, but we got so hooked on the swords that we started to fence outside in my backyard.

It was good fun, but we didn’t have any masks or protective clothing, so it was pretty painful at times. The foils were tipped, but if they scraped across our open skin, it left a scar for days. We even worked out a staged fight and used it to entertain the local kids.

And then one day, Graeme lunged at me and hit me in the face. He hit the corner of my right eye, which left a nasty red mark across my face. If he had hit me a quarter of an inch to the left, I would have lost the eye. It was a very painful and poignant moment. That night we put the swords away and decided to take up jujitsu instead.

In the Garden of Gethsemane when Christ was being arrested, Peter just wanted to protect Jesus when he lunged at Malchus with his sword. Out of all the disciples, he was the only one who defended Christ. It was an impetuous and impossible thing to do. The high priest’s posse had arrived with clubs and swords, so no matter what Peter did, Jesus would still be arrested.

Strangely enough, Jesus didn’t rebuke the posse. Instead, He rebuked Peter, which must have seemed harsh at the time. It’s only later that you realize Jesus was protecting Peter from being arrested, too. By insisting that Christ had to drink the cup of wrath from God alone, Jesus was giving Peter a way out. He was diverting the mob’s attention away from the big impulsive sword-wielding disciple and turning it back toward Himself. It was an act of grace. It was a gift of mercy from God.

Sometimes, as Christians, we get all fired up and are full of zeal for the Lord. We want to protect Him from all of the discredit and damage that the world still wants to cause Jesus, but in the process, we act irrationally and put ourselves in danger. We seem to forget that Christ alone has the power to make all things right and that one glorious day, His justice will prevail.

Point to ponder

When have I acted impulsively in an effort to defend Christ? How would Jesus have responded?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we love You and we want to please You. Forgive us when our zeal blinds our reason and our strident ways diminish our faith. Grant us the godly gift of discernment, to know when and how to say and do the right things, as opposed to doing them at the wrong time, in an un-Christian way. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask questions or make a comment about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com. You can read the church website at www.erinpresbyterian.org.

Human Nature - Matthew 26:38

Matthew 26:38           Then Jesus said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

            Being human means that we’re subject to all sorts of feelings, injuries, or troubles. When I’m in pain, physically or emotionally, I very quickly talk to God to release me from what is causing it and look to Him to heal or solve my problem. I rely upon His power and promises to mend whatever I’m experiencing, especially when it is something that is beyond my capability or control. Being human, then, also means that we need God to help us time and time again.

            When I read about Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and His emotional turmoil, I feel deeply for Him. This is the all-too-human Jesus who is painfully aware of what He is going to face. There’s no escape, so perhaps He feels boxed in, isolated, and vulnerable. His anguish is almost unbearable and I get the feeling that He is desperately struggling to surrender Himself to God’s will. It makes me sad to read about His torment; it also makes me ashamed because my sins put Christ in that painful predicament.

            I’ll never fully understand what Jesus went through to save me and the rest of the world, but I hope that I am always grateful for what He has excruciatingly accomplished. Without Christ’s eventual surrender to God’s will, I could never be forgiven. However, with His acceptance of the cup of wrath, I can be accepted and fully restored to God’s love.

Point to ponder

What do I feel when I read about Christ in Gethsemane? How does His submission affect me?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, when You struggled to accept Your Father’s will, You must have been tempted to refuse it and run away. Instead of remaining safe, You sacrificed everything for us. We can never truly understand what You experienced that terrible night, but we will always be thankful for its everlasting outcome. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

Today’s image is one of John’s Holy Week drawings called ‘Star of Gethsemane.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Star.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can view the church website at this link: www.erinpresbyterian.org. Come by and see us anytime. J