Willing But Weak

March 18

Numbers 15

Psalm 35:9-16

Proverbs 8:17-19

Mark 14:27-42

Willing But Weak

“Peter declared, ‘Even if all fall away, I will not.’  ‘Truly I tell you,’ Jesus answered, ‘Today—yes, tonight---before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown Me three times.’ ‘Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’”  Mark 14:29-30, 38 NIV

Even with the best of intentions, sometimes we fail.  Like Paul, we find ourselves saying, “I do not understand what I do.  For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate, I do…. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.  For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing…. So, I find this law at work:  Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me…. What a wretched man I am!  Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Romans 7:15-25 (NIV) I’m sure Peter believed he would never deny Jesus. Jesus was his best friend and he loved Him very much.  When Jesus told him that they were all going to fall away and that he was going to deny Him three times that night, Peter couldn’t imagine a scenario where that could possibly happen.  And yet it did.  Just a few hours later the disciples scattered, and Peter denied knowing Him to a servant girl.  He didn’t deny Jesus at gunpoint or to a Roman guard.  He couldn’t even tell a lowly servant girl that he was one of Jesus’ followers.  How disappointed he must have been in himself.  He must have felt like a complete failure. 

Have you ever been there?  I certainly have.  That sin I promised never to do, I did---again.  That lie that just came out of my mouth before I even realized it.  The angry words that spewed out of me like venom. I don’t even know why I did it.  It didn’t make sense.  I knew better.  My intentions were good, but I succumbed to temptation again.  What a wretched man I am!  After the resurrection, the Gospel of Mark tells us that the young man at the tomb instructs the ladies who came to anoint Jesus’ body to go and tell the disciples and Peter that Jesus had risen just as He said He would.  He made sure that they told Peter.  Jesus wanted Peter to know that He loved him and forgave him. The Gospel of John tells us of a conversation Jesus had with Peter before He ascended into Heaven in which He predicted Peter’s future ministry.  Even after Peter denied Him, Jesus still loved him and had a purpose and a plan to fulfill through him.  Even though we may fail Him, He loves us and wants to forgive us and fulfill His purposes in us.