And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.
Mark 14:72 (ESV)
Brenda has a favorite cross necklace that was a gift from her son, but she often hesitates to wear it. In a world increasingly hostile to the message of the cross, she doesn’t like the looks she gets or tension she senses at times when wearing it. This holds especially true for her in her workplace, where she is surrounded by unbelievers and scoffers. She’ll never forget the time she was teased for saying she would pray for someone. It surprised her that others thought it was funny or offensive to bring up prayer, but she has learned to stay quiet and keep her beliefs to herself. The cross necklace is saved for Sundays now.
Peter denied Christ – but haven’t we all? It’s easier not to wear a cross. It is easier to avoid the negative reactions that come our way if we speak up about a Biblical truth. We definitely think twice before sharing our faith on social media because we’ve seen the pile-on of adverse reaction that it can bring. We deny Christ just to get along, to avoid confrontation, to protect our jobs, or simply to mind our own business. Let’s be honest: fear and trepidation can preclude our want to display or say the name of Jesus Christ.
So where is the balance? Are we denying our Lord before man when we pull back from what may seem hostile or confrontational? Surely it would do no good to create a legalistic list of rules about when we should speak up and how. No two people could agree on when it is better to speak up as opposed to remaining silent. We simply do not always know when what we say will plant a seed or when it will be simply casting pearls before swine.
Essentially, this is a reminder once again of our need for God‘s grace. Peter wept and realized his guilt, and likewise, we can ask for forgiveness for the ways we deny Christ in our daily lives. We can ask for strength to stand up to persecution and ridicule when we do need to speak up or take a stand.
Father, we pray for strength to stand strong in a world like this, and among people who are hostile to Biblical truth. We take comfort in the words of Jesus in Luke 6:22 (ESV): “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!”
Further, we are instructed to “…love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”. (Matthew 5:44 ESV) We pray to be courageous against the worldview and sink more deeply into God’s Word so that when others cross our path we can be strong in our faith, have wisdom in words, and honor our mission.