Posted by Michael
There is a well-known story in the Bible about a man named
Peter who was a close follower of Jesus. During the trial of Jesus just prior
to his crucifixion, Peter, fearing for
his life, denied even knowing him. This came after three years of close community
with Jesus where he witnessed miracles and heard countless teachings. This was
also after Peter had bragged that he would never leave Jesus’ side, at which
point Jesus predicted the upcoming denials. Many are quick to judge Peter for
his fear and his betrayal, but a closer look at the passage shows that all of
the disciples made similar promises to Jesus (see Mark 14:31). The disciples
broke away from Jesus for a while due to the fact that the actions happening in
front of them didn’t match up with the expectations they carried in their
heads. “Jesus wasn’t supposed to die like this! This was supposed to be the
start of something big.”
This is the precise reason that many of us pull away
from Jesus from time to time in our own lives. What we expect of Jesus doesn’t match up to what
we experience in our lives. “I thought Jesus loved me, why would he let me get
sick? Why would he allow my friend to lie about me and betray me? I just want
to provide for my family, why won’t he give me a job?” It’s at that point that
we run away angry, fearful, and confused. We expect that Jesus will make our
life work, when the Bible and our own life experiences teach us very clearly
that life doesn’t work. Our world is broken, as are our relationships, jobs,
and bodies. As comforting as a nice predictable path through life might seem, it’s not something that Jesus ever promised. He promised His presence and He promised
that He would make our lives matter. He wants to use us to bring hope and mercy
to the very broken world that we wake up to every day. It’s in this way that
our own hearts are calmed. Purpose offers much more comfort than
predictability. It’s not as immediate, but it’s deeper and longer lasting, and
purpose is what we are promised.
He also promised us so much more than this life. There will be more comfort and satisfaction than we can ever imagine. I struggle at times to remember that, particularly when I'm shrouded in darkness, but it's something I have to hold on to. I have a purpose, I have meaning, and I have hope. Those are things my heart desperately needs.
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