“Prepared for danger”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Saturday, December 10, 2022
Luke 22:31-38 (Forward, p. 40) CEV p. 1093
A certain old English hymn seems somewhat appropriate to today’s passage. It begins with the words, “Oft in danger, oft in woe, onward Christians, onward go; bear the toil, maintain the strife, strengthened with the bread of life, and certainly the events depicted in this account can be described both as danger and as woe.
What Jesus describes as Satan’s evil designs upon the life of Simon Peter, his desire to sift him as a farmer separates wheat from the chaff, can easily and certainly be described as ‘danger’, as a danger to both his own soul and to the overall work of the God in the church. Indeed, Peter will be found wanting, just as Jesus predicted, but that will not be the end of the story. Peter will indeed fall away, slip, in denying Jesus three times, but he will also return, and having returned will strengthen and encourage the others. And, most certainly, this falling away would have been a great burden upon Peter’s soul, a woe if there ever was one.
Needless to say, the danger and the woes don’t end there. Very shortly a large contingent of armed guards will come upon the scene to arrest Jesus, and for a moment it would seem as if even the disciples themselves were in grave danger. And so, yes, a sword would have been most appropriate. And, even if they escaped arrest, they will still more than likely considered to be marked men, fellow conspirators, men in danger for their own lives. And so, as fugitives, as people ‘hiding out’ from the law, some emergency provisions (a money bag and a travelling bag, for instance) would have been quite handy.
It is of great interest, and importance, that Jesus cares enough for His disciples to prepare them for the dangers and woes that lay ahead for them. Jesus could easily have been caught up, worried as He probably was, concerning His own future, His own dangers and woes. Nevertheless, He took the time to clue in His disciples and prepare them for what lay ahead. He wanted to ‘stand with them’ and help them, no matter what might happen to Him.
And so it is with us: Jesus always stands with us, to help us, to warn us, and to prepare us for what lays ahead—if only we will trust Him and allow Him to do so. Amen.
Forward notes: “Jesus said, ‘I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day, until you have denied three times that you know me” (verse 34).
“The disciples are gathered for their last supper together, and Jesus makes this horrible prediction: Simon Peter, one of Jesus’s first disciples, will betray him.
“I can only imagine the murmurs of disbelief around the table. But it happens. We all betray the people we love—not because we’re bad people, but because we are human beings, fallible and imperfect. During the confession each Sunday in worship, we recall our failures ‘by what we have done and by what we have left undone.’ I remember times I’ve disappointed my family and friends, betrayed a confidence, or ignored an opportunity to serve. When I fail to respond to the opportunity to serve, I understand how Simon Peter could abandon someone he loved deeply.
“The Daily Examen, an Ignatian spiritual practice, is a technique of reviewing our day to discern God’s presence and direction in our lives. One aspect of the Daily Examen calls us to consider how we may have been insensitive or damaging to others. As we review our betrayals, we can be thankful God is in the forgiveness business.”
Moving Forward: “Practice the Daily Examen in the coming week.”
A concluding note: I think that our author for today is somewhat in error in describing Peter’s action as a ‘betrayal’. I think that there is a large and significant different between a ‘betrayal’ and a ‘denial.’ A betrayal is an act of disloyalty, a turning against, a turning someone over to his or her enemies. It is very extreme: it is a changing of sides, a going over to the other side. A ‘denial’ is nothing like that: rather, it is more of a lapse in loyalties than a total change or switching of loyalties.
Even though in our everyday use of the English language we speak of ‘betraying a confidence’, it is really not in the same league as what Judas did. It may well be a momentary act of disloyalty, a brief turning away from our friendship with the person, it does not constitute a rejection of that person or any real or permanent ‘switching of sides’. It is more like what
Peter did, namely a yielding in the moment of danger to our fears and then accordingly failing to stand up for our friend.
But, be it a betrayal, or a denial, neither one is the end of the story. Jesus was more than happy, ready and eager, to forgive Peter, and I believe that He would have done the same for Judas—if only Judas had let Him, and not feeling that he had to ‘take it out’ upon himself. Jesus is in the business of forgiving, them and us, no matter what we have done. Amen.