The Road To Redemption

Telling Someone Something You'll Never Do

It can be dangerous to tell someone something that you'll never do. Have you ever heard someone say something like (or maybe you've said it yourself), "I'll never let my kid play with that kind of toy," or "I'll never let my kid say things like that," or about yourself, I know I have - "I'll never spend that much time watching Netflix." Realizing about 3 hours later that I've wasted my day as I'm eating my own words. But, I know an insane about 72 dangerous animals in Latin America. So in the words of Carl Spackler, "I've got that going for me, which is nice."

Or how about this, are you the type of person, like me, who will mentally plan out how you will handle potential circumstances or scenarios before they come up?

"Okay tomorrow, when I see so-and-so, I'm going to say something to him. If he says this, then I'm going to do that."

I know I'm guilty of this. For instance, and I don't know if this is lunacy or wise preparation - but sitting in restaurants I don't like my back to the door. I've already decided this long ago. I sit down and I've already planned my escape - just in case something goes haywire. Those of you who have seen my office here, I rearranged it pretty early on into moving into it so that my back wasn't sitting to the door. As safe as New Hope is, in my mind it's a safety concern. Already planned out. I'm looking at the door.

The problem with these kinds of things is that we rarely know how we're going to respond to specific scenarios when they arise. We don't often know exactly how an event is going to transpire, and therefore we don't know exactly how we'll respond. In our wisdom we'll tell people things like, "oh, my kid will never do something like that" or, "when I get promoted or when I'm the manager I won't make mistakes like that..." Okay.

"I would never do what that person did."

Now before we really dive in this morning, let's go back to the night of the last supper. Jesus has taken the bread and broke it. He's taken the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to the disciples. We see in Matthew 26:30 that they had sung a hymn and then went out to the Mount of Olives.

Peter's Denial of Christ

Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: “ ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same." - Matthew 26:31-35 (NIV)

Peter heard Jesus just a few verses earlier when He predicted that one of the group would become a traitor (Matt. 26:21), and now even more recently he's heard that all would "fall away" that very night (Matt. 26:31). You know, I can't help but notice that what we see here is this incredibly emotional response from Peter. And I say that because where in this prediction does Jesus ever condemn the disciples? He doesn't. Rather, what we see is a promise that they will be reunited after He is resurrected (Matt. 26:32).

See this is a huge moment. Peter's saying, even if all these guys disown you - I won't. Not me. Never. I never will. It's almost like he stops listening as soon as Jesus says that all of the disciples would "fall away" that night. And how relatable, right? He heard something that was mind-blowing, and quite frankly something that struck his ego. And then we see that with the same confidence that would eventually help contribute to Peter's strength as a leader, in this moment it takes the reins and his response is an emotional one driven by pride.

It reminds me of the following verse:

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" Jeremiah 17:9 (ESV)

A pastor, Jason Fritz, from Illuminate Community church in Scottsdale, Arizona, applies this verse wonderfully, saying:

"What we believe about ourselves, and what is true about ourselves - very often that's two totally different things."

In other words, many of us, myself included, have a tendency to overestimate ourselves.

I can tell you that in my work as a Graphic Designer, and at other previous roles like as a Project Manager for web and software developers, it's timelines. We always think things aren't going to take as long as they do.