Patron saint of those who reject Jesus!

Reflecting on Mark 14:66-72

"He began to call down curses, and he swore to them." (Mark 14:71)

Peter should be the patron saint of those who reject Jesus. His denial of Jesus is very strong. He calls down curses: ‘may God curse me to Gehenna if I am lying’. He swears an oath: ‘I swear to God in heaven, I am not lying.’ His motivation is fear, but his disowning Jesus is clear. This makes me think of Jesus’s words.

“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33)

If we take the words of Jesus plainly, Peter is to be disowned.
When believers in the early church denied Christ, they were disowned.
Many in the church saw denying Christ as an unforgivable sin.
But since we know the story of Peter, we know this is not true.

Peter shows us the mercy of God through Jesus for those who fail or fall.
God is not done with us, even when we or others give up on us.
This gives me hope when I meet those who’ve lost their hope.
So many people are disowning their faith in the western world.
(Faith in Jesus seems to be growing elsewhere in the world).
Some christians are quick to disown those who disown Jesus.
But I am not, because I am confident God is not done with them.

Peter’s denial was certainly the result of fear.
But there was likely some questioning and doubt as well.
Peter was also flustered, he had used his sword to defend Jesus.
Why hadn’t God’s messiah put up a fight, why did He use His power!?
Jesus was not the person Peter had expected; why should he stand by him?
Remember, this denying Peter is the same one who boasted earlier:
“Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” (Mark 14:31)

Many people I meet reject Jesus for other reasons.
Often it is because of negative experiences with the church.
Abuse or arrogance or hypocrisy in their home, or in their church.
For some it is because to the way church is behaving publicly.
Scandals, or judging others, or being enmeshed in politics.
For many, it is not Jesus they are rejecting, but the church.
Or the church’s version of the church.
I try to ask people who leave their faith why they are leaving Jesus.
Often the Jesus they describe is one that I would leave too.
They’ve been given a wrong view of the Messiah.

For Peter his return to Jesus took a couple of days.
For some people it can take years, or a lifetime.
It was when Peter finally met the risen Jesus that he came back.
It was the real Jesus, the risen Jesus, that changed his heart.

This is the hope I hold on to for those who have left their faith.
Many still want the good aspects of Jesus – love, joy, peace, goodness.
Its just that they’ve given up on finding it in the church’s Jesus.
Jesus continues to come to them in their lifetime.
As they get older, and their soul wrestles with life more, they wonder.
They may encounter Jesus in their own Damascus Road experience, like Paul.
But one thing for sure, they will meet the risen Jesus when they die.
Is this too late, or is this the last opportunity?
The bible doesn’t clearly tell us say whether the last day is too late.

When Jesus returns, everyone will see Him coming in power.

“At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.” (Mark 13:26)

“Look, he is coming with the clouds, and ‘every eye will see him, even those who pierced him’; and all peoples on earth ‘will mourn because of him.’ So shall it be! Amen.” (Revelation 1:7)

When Peter saw Jesus in His resurrection glory, his heart changed.
When those who reject Jesus now see Jesus in His resurrection glory, will they?
I have an atheist friend who cannot accept God, Jesus, or religion in general.
Yet he is strongly committed to the spiritual qualities of goodness, justice and love.
I suspect that when he finally sees the real Jesus, he will say:
‘Oh, is that what You are like; I would have followed You!’
Who’s to say… but Peter gives me hope.

Peter is the patron saint of those who reject Jesus.
And he is living proof that God is merciful to those who curse and swear.
God will not disown all those who disown Jesus.
God in Jesus will appeal to them with love until the last day.
If not before, I am certain many/most (?) will like what they see.
For the Jesus they see will not be the same as the one they rejected.

Remember, “be merciful to those who doubt” (Jude 1:22), for Jesus is!

PRAYER
Lord Jesus, Your mercy to Peter encourages me to continue to show merciful to those who doubt, for You are not done with them. Use me to show others what You are like - merciful. And if I or the church fail to show them, then find other ways to let them see and experience Who You really are.