The Bible tells us the events of the night that Jesus is arrested and brought before the various authorities – events that would lead to his crucifixion. That evening, following dinner, Jesus tells his disciples that they will all fall away from him when he is arrested. Peter, who is perhaps the boldest of the disciples, declares that he will stand firm besides Jesus even if all of the others fall away, even if it leads to his death. We all want friends who are like that, willing to stand at our side no matter what happens.
Unfortunately, the events that follow reveal that there was a limit to Peter’s earlier proclamation. Once Jesus is arrested and brought before the religious leaders of the time, Peter famously denies knowing Jesus on three separate occasions. In the span of a few hours, Peter went from proclaiming loyalty to Jesus even unto death to denial of even knowing Jesus. Peter knew that what he did was wrong, and he was filled with shame and guilt for his actions.
Fortunately, the story doesn’t end there. Peter and Jesus have another opportunity to speak, and Peter experiences forgiveness. Jesus affirms Peter, shares his vision for the mission, and their relationship is mended. From that point on, Peter would move heaven and earth to share Jesus with the world and he would indeed be faithful to the point of his own death.
Without that forgiveness, it is difficult to say how life would have turned out for Peter. Fortunately for us, he was forgiven, and as a result of that forgiveness, the relationship that Peter had with Jesus grew stronger than it had ever been. It may sound strange to hear that a relationship after a betrayal could be stronger than it was before, but that is exactly what can happen. None of us is perfect, and we are all going to make mistakes of various magnitudes, so we will always bring disappointment into our relationships. Yet when someone is willing to love us despite our flaws and forgive us, we get a taste of unconditional love, and that can bring the relationship to a much deeper level.
In a world driven more and more by social media, there is a risk that our relationships will grow increasingly superficial and shallow. Those aren’t the types of relationships that will sustain you in difficult times. If you want relationships with people who will be willing to stand by you in your darkest moments and during your greatest challenges, it helps if they know that you will forgive them and love them unconditionally. That is a costly love, but what does the cost matter when the relationship is priceless?
Peace and blessings – Pastor Aaron