Feb 4 - No Jesus - I won't.

February 4

No Jesus, I won’t

 Mt 26:33 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.

All four gospels record Peter’s denial of Christ. (Mark 14 ,Luke 22 and John 13) There must be some great lesson for us to learn. Before you condemn poor Peter for his conduct be careful you are not a partaker of his pride. “What was Peter thinking? I would never have done what Peter did!”  It is an easy mental trap for us to fall in. I am thankful I was not in his place. 

Immediately after the last supper Christ told them that they would all be offended because of Him that night.  Peter responded  “No Jesus, I won’t”  

 26:33 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men

shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.

Poor Peter. His actions and mouth got him into a lot of trouble.  There are some lessons in humility poor Peter needs to learn. Christ does not argue with Peter but simply responds.

 34 “That this night, before the cock crow,

thou shalt deny me thrice”.

 

(Peter…stop…don’t say anything!...Oh Oh too late!!) 

Peter responded “No Jesus, I won’t”

Mt 26:5 Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee,

yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.

 Peter had been following Christ as a disciple for three years and had not learned the lesson of humility.  What was going through Peter’s head when Christ said something and Peter corrected,  nay, contradicted the Son of God.  Christ said something would happen and Peter said no it won’t. Christ responded that the proof would be “Peter, you are going to do something” to which Peter immediately disagrees and responds “No I won’t!  Not even the threat of death would make me do that. No Jesus you are wrong.”   

Let us learn a great lesson at this point. Christ said you all will all be offended this night and Peter thinks he knows better and said “No Jesus, I won’t!”  And as if that was not bad enough when Christ told Peter you will deny me three times before morning, Peters response is “No Jesus, I won’t”

There are several lessons here. Perhaps the greatest one is

1Co 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth

take heed lest he fall.

When the Holy Spirit lays something on our heart do we respond like Peter “No Jesus, I won’t”? When our hearts convict us and the Holy Spirit points to something and tells us we should remove that from our lives is our response. “No, Jesus. I won’t stop doing that”   When the Holy Spirit says “do this” do we reply “No, Jesus. I won’t do it!”?  Before we shake our heads at Peters outrageous conduct, and his excessive pride we need to be sure we are not partners with him in having overconfidence and pride. 

Peter was told all would be offended but he was certain that did not include him. Dear reader are you so over confidant that you think you can continue in some sin but be unaffected by it. Though other men get tangled up in this sin I can still do it but not be affected. I am stronger in my faith and I need this little secret thing. It might be the downfall of others but it won’t affect me that way.  Lot thought that way and moved into Sodom with no thought of being affected by the inhabitants. He was just window shopping for sin, certain it would not affect him but wound up homeless and living in a cave with his two pregnant daughters.  

Or are you too prideful to do something that the Holy Spirit lays on your heart.  I fear we too often hear the Holy Spirit speak to us and we say “No Jesus, I won’t”.  Oh gentle reader, let us all examine our hearts and ask what errand has the Master asked us to run? What chore has been assigned to us? We may know what it is but excuse ourselves because it is not something we want to do.  “No Jesus, I don’t like doing that”  

Or again the Spirit may have gotten it wrong and spoken to our hearts about something we are not good at, or are fearful of doing.  God would not ask us to do something we were not good at would He? That would require our depending on Him and not doing it in our own strength.  The excuse is sufficient for us to say “No, Jesus I won’t because I cannot” 

That was the excuse Moses used when God told him to go lead the people out of Egypt. 

Ex 4:10 ¶ And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, ... but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.

 

May we all teach ourselves the need for humility so that God does not have to teach it to us in His woodshed!   May we strive to have the mind of Isaiah.  Who did not respond to the voice of the Lord with “No Lord, I won’t. “   His response was “Here am I send me” 

Isa 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying,

Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?

Then said I, Here am I; send me