AT THE END OF BROKEN
REFERENCE: Matthew 26:69-75 (NKJV)
69 Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.”71 And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”72 But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!”73 And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.”74 Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man! “Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.
My dogs, Pepe and Profeesa, are usually in a pen, except when they need to potty and/or play in the backyard. On occasion, they would be allowed to roam freely in the house. One day, as they were wandering around, I left the door to the pen wide open. They jumped in and stayed in, not realizing that they were free to go in and out as they pleased. They were conditioned/broken-in to remain in the pen.
I reflected on the fact that there is much for us to gain from being broken, however, if we do not focus on the open doors, we will miss the leaps and bounds that we can make at the end of being broken.
Simon Peter, a fisherman, became a follower of Jesus. By nature, he was hot-tempered, impulsive and a leader. He influenced his brother, Andrew, to leave fishing and follow Jesus. Peter’s zeal would be beneficial to the Kingdom, so Jesus earmarked him to spread the Good News. When it was time to step aside and pray, Peter was one of the selected ones to join Jesus. On the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter evidenced God’s sanctioning of Jesus as His Son. It was Peter that announced that Jesus was the Son of the Living God. On that Great Confession, some churches build their doctrines, yet, Jesus said to him ,…when you are converted….
Interestingly, from time to time, Jesus had to caution Peter about his actions because He knew what was awaiting Peter. The Enemy’s desire was to sift him, so Jesus prayed for him and told him that when he was converted, it would be his job to strengthen the believers. Luke 22:31-32, …And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.
A sieve is used to separate impurities, but sifting entails being shaken, blown and tossed about. That was the comparison Jesus used concerning what Peter would experience. The Evil One also has the same plan for us, but Jesus has pre-planned for him. Jesus has already prayed for us so, as we follow, may God give us a heart of compassion to strengthen/encourage each other to good works.
One would assume that since Peter followed Jesus closely, encourage others to follow also, confessed Jesus as Christ and wanted to build a tabernacle for Him to live in. he must have been converted. Peter would face the greatest test of all times: that which would result in his denial of Jesus. We find that during his following of Jesus, Peter had not yet demonstrated that he was a new creature. According to 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Was he the closest to Jesus during the agony and crucifixion? No! We find him having to make a difficult decision. He chose what he thought was the easy way out. Peter followed afar off. This is the same Peter who had declared that Jesus is the Christ, Son of the Living God. When he was at the courtyard, now refers to Jesus as, THE MAN. Although he followed, his heart was not exactly dedicated to righteousness.
In Mark 14:54, Peter sought warmth from the fire outside. In his brokenness, not only was his body cold, but also, his heart. Fear and apprehension made him so cold, he swore his denial. Peter wanted to, not only defend Jesus, but also, to protect himself. He broke his promise to Jesus. He had good intentions, but “zeal without knowledge” is dangerous (Romans 10:1-3). He had the wrong concept of what he had to defeat. His warfare was literally against spiritual wickedness in high places, however, he attributed it, as against the people he saw.
When Peter realized that he did not love Jesus as much as he thought he did, he wept. He was broken beyond words. Yet, at the end of being broken: the anointing saturated him, and he defended Jesus with a different sword: The Word.
Peter, a prime example of the end of broken, (suffering) picked up the mantle that Jesus prayed over him. We see him being threatened (Acts4:21), beaten (Acts 5:40), imprisoned (Acts 12:3-9) and ridiculed (Acts 2:13-14). He suffered a lot, BUT through those experiences he became compassionate, inclusive, bold and relentless in his pursuit of sharing the Gospel (Acts 2:14-36). He shared the gospel of acceptance, salvation, redemption and promise. As a result, there were three thousand new believers in one day. Even his shadow brought healing to the sick. What an impact!
At the Last Supper, Jesus shared the broken bread and the wine with His disciples. His body and blood were symbolized there. Whippings and piercings produced Jesus’ blood on the cross, yet at the end of His brokenness, mankind receives unconditional love, salvation from eternal death, healing, redemption, restoration and hope. Most importantly, He promises that He will come again to take those who believe that He is the Son of God and receive Him as Savior, to be with Him, forever. Jesus counted the cost and decided that we were worth being broken / dying for.
Our brokenness may be the result of wounds from people, but the real war rages against us in the spiritual realm. Our three- dimensional existence is influenced by visible as well as invisible forces. Peter was overcome by the visible and Jesus reminded him that his sword (weapon) was not expected to be physical. We too have some of Peter’s tendencies.
We may be in despair, suffer (be broken), be disillusioned, but if Jesus has given us that cup, are we resolved to drink it to the last drop? What can God do for us if we surrender our brokenness? There is no telling what God can do with the broken.
Dr. O. A. James
REFLECTION
Having experienced brokenness, what positive impact will we make on the Kingdom?