“Immediately the rooster crowed the second time.
Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him:
“Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.”
And he broke down and wept.”
Mark 14:27
Jesus had to get the “Peter” out of Peter in order to have him ready for the Kingdom work prepared for Him. Everything that wasn’t the Peter God saw in Him had to be chipped away — the pride, the brash confidence in Himself, the smugness.
When that cock crowed, cocky Peter became contrite Peter. Humbled Peter. In that instant the dots were connected and Peter saw himself and his sinful state before Jesus.
His response should be our response to our sin: mourning. The text says he broke down and wept. The parallel passage in Luke says he wept bitterly. I believe those were tears of remorse, shame, repentance, and humility.
In Matthew 5:4 Jesus says: Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Our journey of faith begins with the acknowledgment of our sin, mourning our sin. As we see ourselves as sinners, we also see our need of a Savior. The only comfort for that type of mourning is Jesus Christ — only HE can comfort and heal us from our sin.
Peter mourned his sin that day.
Jesus used that rooster and the timing of it’s crowing to bring conviction to Peter’s heart.
If God will use even a rooster, won’t he use anything or anyone as his instrument to chip away the behaviors, actions, attitudes, mindsets, or words in our lives that don’t need to be there?
Peter didn’t go after the rooster with his sword. He went out and wept.
Who is that cocky person that brings conviction to your life? Maybe you and I have gone round and round in the ring this week — boxing with a cocky teenager. Maybe we’ve allowed a 2-year-old to get the best of us – – or an 82-year-old – – or a tax form – – or an overdue bill. What – or who – is God using to humble you?
II Corinthians 10:4-5 says we are to … we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
What thoughts need taken captive in your life and mine? What attitudes, motives, behaviors, words are in our lives that need purged so we can filled? What sin do you and I need to mourn, to confess, and allow God to chip away?
Peter mourned his sin. He wept bitterly over his sin. We, too, must take sin seriously and then celebrate our Savior who is continuously working in our lives.
He loves us as we are, but also loves us too much to leave us that way.
{Here’s the link to last week’s teaching on Mark: http://fbcsiloam.podbean.com/2014/04/19/ladies-bible-study-mark-lesson-27-laura-macfarlan-%E2%80%94-4-17-14/ }
Photo attribution: http://www.shadesvalley.org
