NOVEMBER 2, 2021 READINGS... Mark 14:53-65 & Matthew 26:57-68 & Mark 14:66-72 & Matthew 26:69-75 & Luke 22:54-62 & John 18:25-27 & Mark 15:1 & Matthew 27:1-2 &
Luke 22:66-71
When things get hard…when things look impossible…when you feel like everything is falling apart…when you wonder if everything will ever be okay again: where do you go…what do you do…what happens to your faith? In our reading today, we have the story of two men whose world was quickly falling apart. The first man is named Judas…this is the betrayer of Jesus. When his act of betrayal did not turn out as he had hoped…he gained nothing from his betrayal, and actually lost everything of value that he had. His response to all this was to take his own life. Judas is not spending eternity in hell because he took his own life…but because he rejected Christ. Judas was called “the son of perdition”. The second man was named Peter…this is Peter the “rock, the strong disciple, the one who claimed he would never waver in his faith. Notice when Peter’s world began to fall apart, and pressure was put upon him, his response was fear…he was so filled with fear at what could happen to him that he denied even knowing Jesus. Listen Judas did not lose his faith…he never had faith. When the heat was turned up on him it didn’t take his faith, it revealed that he had no faith. Peter was a man of faith, but he let fear affect his faith. For a while his faith was set aside and fear took faith’s place. Jesus later restored Peter, and on Pentecost we see Peter unafraid standing and speaking the Gospel with great faith. We as believers have times where we let other things affect, or even replace, our faith. That happens because we take our eyes off of Jesus, and put them on other things…but if we are genuinely people of faith, the Lord will never let our faith be taken from us permanently.
In our reading we also read of Jesus being brought before Caiaphas. This whole “trial” of Jesus was illegitimate. There were those who were brought in to accuse Jesus of supposed crimes that were worthy of His arrest, His trial, and ultimately His death. The “witnesses” contradicted each other, and for the most part confused the issue. Strangely, it was Jesus who brought focus back into the “proceedings.” It was falling apart right before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin when suddenly Jesus said, “I AM…and you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven”. At this the high priest tore his robe and said they needed no other evidence. The verdict was guilty…it was the religious leaders of the Jews that condemned Jesus to death. From the house of Caiaphas, they took Jesus to Pilate. You see they were not even willing to carry out their dirty deeds themselves…they would pressure the Roman authority to do it for them. Evil people love using others to do their evil, rather than getting their own hands dirty. I just want to remind everyone that none of this was beyond God’s control, or Jesus’ power. He could have stopped it all…but remember, it was for this purpose He came. And I for one am so glad He came!
Please share your thoughts from today’s reading.
TOMORROW’S READINGS… Mark 15:2-5 & Matthew 27:11-14 & Luke 23:1-12 &
John 18:28-40 & Mark 15:6-15 & Matthew 27:15-26 & Luke 23:13-25 & John 19:1-16 &
Mark 15:16-20 & Matthew 27:27-31 & Luke 22:63-65
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