(When the high priests asked by whose authority the
disciples cured the crippled man, Peter responded:) “It was in the name of
Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead …
there is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under
heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.” (Acts
4:10, 12)
(After
the disciples’ nets were filled,) Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.”
And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they
realized it was the Lord.
(John 21:12)
Piety
Jesus, you
know how it feels to be rejected. Help me to be confident that when no one but you
is with me, I have all I need.
Study
The words
of Psalm 118 have come true: The stone the builders rejected has indeed become
the cornerstone. Jesus, scorned by nearly all of his contemporaries, including most
of those who claimed to love him, has by his resurrection shown he is indeed
the messiah.
And what
was Jesus’s reaction when he returned to the earth? He didn’t seek to exact
vengeance. Instead, he showed people how much he loved them, in tangible ways
such as in filling their nets, and in intangible ways such as opening their
eyes to his presence. Jesus’s example and the power of the Holy Spirit would
enable Peter and the others to do much they would have never dreamed of when
their time came, to stand fearless before and speak boldly to the high priests,
giving all credit to the Lord. They were no longer afraid—of rejection or
anything else.
For some of
us, fear of rejection is one of the ways the evil one attempts to enter our
souls. We let small or large hurts, intentional or unintentional, fester. And
if we find ourselves on top down the road, it’s so tempting to taunt our former
persecutors and fair-weather friends and to grab the credit for what we’ve accomplished.
Instead, may we emulate Jesus’s example of love… and Peter’s example of
fearlessly proclaiming the Lord’s greatness.
Action
Just for
today, give the credit to God when people compliment you about an
accomplishment—and mean it.
No comments:
Post a Comment