Character Flaw

Have you ever felt you have done something so bad, it was inexcusable?

Then about an hour later still another kept insisting, 'Surely this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean.' But Peter said, 'Man, I do not know what you are talking about!' At that moment, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, 'Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.'.And he went out and wept bitterly. - Luke 22:59-62

How could Peter be such a screw up and become the head of the Church?

Do you think Jesus didn't know what Peter was like when he chose him? 

Maybe.  And if that was the case, the fact that he stuck with him as his chosen leader tells us something about him.  But if he did know and chose him anyway, it says even more about him.

The Gospels tell us that Jesus is the window to God.  We know the Father through the Son, and so we gain some insight into God as well in the choices Jesus made for his disciples.

We hold them in high regard, seeing them not as they were, but as something special and unique, when they were just like us.

They had character flaws and imperfections, moments where they lost control, just like we do.

And that, I think, is the message we need to ponder from the denial of Jesus.  Peter caved.  He lost it, just as we do sometimes, and Jesus knew he would do it.

So, God knows we are going to mess up and He loves us anyway.  In fact, He came to show us just how much He does love us and want us to stay focused on Him, even when we screw up, or especially when we do.

We can turn away, but we should never leave completely, for we will never be abandoned.

If we truly believe that, we can overcome anything, just like Peter.

More to come...