Today’s Reading: Mark 14:53-72 

If I were to ask you to name for me a great American President, you might say George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Ronald Reagan, you might say Abraham Lincoln. I think most of us would say Abraham Lincoln was a great President. What do we call him? He is often known as honest Abe. And yet do you realize that he lost eight elections. He failed in business twice and he had a nervous breakdown. Abraham Lincoln failed, but Abraham Lincoln was not a failure!

I want to take you back to a story in the Bible. A story about a disciple of Jesus. A follower of God who failed, but who obviously was not a failure. Jesus has been betrayed by Judas, the story has taken place in the Garden of Gethsemane and Jesus has been arrested, and now He is at the house of Caiphus, the high priest; He’s on trial. The Apostle Peter follows at a distance.

You see that’s the situation Peter is faced with in Mark 14. It’s a cold, springtime night, and Peter is warming himself by a fire in the courtyard of the high priest, Caiaphas. A girl maybe 14 or 15 comes along and she looks at Peter and studies his face and says, “I know who you are. You are one of the Jesus boys.” Do you know what Peter says? “Who’d you say? Jesus? Ha! I don’t know Jesus! Three times we see a similar situation.

I don’t know how you feel about it, but when I read this story I get a little angry at Peter. What about you? Don’t you get a little upset with Peter?  We want to take Peter and shake him and say, “Man, what in the world have you done? You’re a disciple!

However, we see that when the women went to Jesus tomb after his death, the angels tell them “Go tell His disciples, and especially tell Peter.” Peter was not a failure. In fact, do you realize that the Apostle Peter went on to be an elder in the church!

Just because you’ve failed, that doesn’t mean you’re a failure! You can turn your life around and accept the love of Jesus!

Reflection

Do you feel you have messed up too bad? How is God’s grace bigger than your mistakes?