25/12/11

Breaking under pressure

Mark 14:66 - And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest:


In today's message we read that Simon Peter's denial started with him standing beneath the palace.

If one understands the terrain of old Jerusalem most of the important monuments are on hill tops. So if one imagines the position of Peter, he was standing on the slopes of the hill or at the foothill with a huge magnificent palace towering over his head with soldiers and people connected to the palace all around him.

If one realizes the mind of Simon Peter with Jesus Christ far from him, he broke under this pressure and went into his fall of denying Jesus.

In today's world most people are in the same position as Simon Peter. They get influenced by the worldly authority set above them and by what they see then they come to a stage of denying Christ.

People are so scared to face the Truth that they find ways to cover their excuses. Since they cannot go against this worldly authority, they fear society that they find justifications for what they are doing.

The most common and loved excuse by many is the concept of finding a sheep dressed in wolf clothing among wolves. They search Christ among pagan practices and feel happy when they see something that looks good. The Lord said to watch out for the wolf in sheep clothing among sheep not the other way around. The wolf devours the sheep but does not take it home and care for it. You can search for lost sheep but you will surely not find lost sheep among wolves.

If one sees Jesus' birth place (Church of Nativity) is at a low level, even though most of Jerusalem has more than four layers (remakes) since Jesus's time and some historians claiming the real Jerusalem is till way below. Jesus was born not as a king but a low citizen, an ordinary carpenter yet He did not let the world authorities pressurize Him. As man of flesh and blood His heart was with the poor at their level but in Spirit He dwelled in the Kingdom of God and that level is way above any human level.

We may be a flesh and blood but we are called not to bow our heads to human authority when they go against the Lord. Respecting them is different for abiding to everything they say.

The Lord has called us to overcome our flesh so let us be a person of spirit more than a person of flesh and blood. Our spiritual King of Kings needs to be honoured more than our worldly ones.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, we pray for your people who are weak in spirit. They fear man and come under the pressure of this world and in many ways deny You. Lord, we pray that they be citizen of the Kingdom of God more than men of flesh and blood...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
John 16:33 - These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

2 Peter 2:20-22
20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)