He reminds me a bit of Peter......and it speaks to me also of God's graciousness to put up with us until He sorts us out, once we realize we need to be, and are willing to be, like Peter eventually got sorted out. In Peter's case I think it was his failure in the circumstances of Jesus' arrest that caused him to realize there was something more that he needed. He had failed in two ways, one in that he used his sword (the word?) in a wrong way when he cut off someone's ear - and then he failed to stand up for the Lord under pressure when he was questioned by the servant girl. Peter must have felt the Lord would be finished with him....yet Jesus forgave him.
The bible says we shouldn't judge others lest we ourselves be judged. And Paul says that judgment first begins with us, meaning the church.
So,I judge because I know I am being judged. Not for sin but for character. And it's not a judgment to condemnation, but rather a judgment of the fruit they bare.
I have had walks down judgment lane with almost every prophet and every Apostle. Sometimes they say things that make me ponder, is this right, is this true? And so far all I found is people having normal struggles that we all face.
My rant with Paul was that he was the anti-christ. He was a murderer from the beginning, he stole from the church... things he said that made me go hmmm. But the more I looked I found it was me that wasn't judging rightly.
God put Paul through hell and gave him a commision to go to a world where Jesus wasn't well known. He had to deal with outsiders who had their own idols and their own ways of doing things. And I eventually saw how much grace the Lord bestowed upon a man like Saul. Who was taken out of the fire, ready to burn, and set him on the right course. It took me awhile. And The thread I had posted was very many pages long. And fellow members would come in and reason with me, showing me alternatives to how I thought I saw what I saw.
This was only a couple years ago.
Now Peter...
Peter is like a little spoiled brat. He's in too much of a hurry. He wants things his way. He says he will do this and he does that.
There is a place that still bothers me concerning "mercy and grace" I have with Peter.
And that is where the husband and wife come in saying they sold some land for such and such. And Peter says, did you really?
Yes..
Ok because you lied, you die.. out goes the old man.
In comes the wife, same thing, you lied you die, out goes the old woman.
Now here's Peter who promised the Lord that he would die with him. Jesus says, you say that now, but your going to deny me 3 times.
No way Lord, I won't do that. And he did.
And this isn't very long after Jesus was saying if you deny me I will deny you before my father and his angels.
I don't think Peter was listening. And it's funny because later that night he took a sword and cut someone else's ear off.
But Jesus healed the man's ear. He also found Peter fishing.. naked even.. not sure what that means, I think it mean openly, publicly, not trying to hide the fact that he aught to have been out fishing for men instead of increasing his day job.
When Jesus was said to be on the beach, Peter grabbed his coat and jumped in the sea.
I see Jonah here, being sent on a mission and running the other way.
Nevertheless Jesus fed them fishes and loaves and asked Peter 3 times if you love me feed my sheep. He said he would 3 times.
Then we see Peter sitting on a rooftop and the next thing you know he is declaring he has been commisioned to go to the gentiles.
But Jesus said not to go outside Jerusalem yet. I believe Jesus already picked Paul for the job but Peter wanted to be first.
And then it is Paul who is getting in Peter's face telling him he aint walking the walk, because while he was sitting with the gentiles, some jews come along and he took off.
Peter is a fearful man. He is afraid of confrontation. I don't think he could of done what Paul done at that time.
But getting back to the husband and wife and the land they sold and they ending up deader than door nails.
I don't believe Jesus would of done it quite like that. I don't see that in Jesus' character or fruit.
I think Jesus would of just looked him in the eye and said go and lie no more.
We all have our flaws. And Jesus told Peter, when you are converted go and teach the brethren.
Peter is like a tree that grows real slow and the earth God's seed is planted in is too much clay instead of loam.
He's too hard, too quick, and still has an ego he has to overcome.
I think later when we read his own letters we see that conversion taken place. And finally the root is established and good fruit is beginning to bare.
Jesus saw an adversary in Peter. Get thee behind me Satan, thou desirest the things of men and not the things of God.
Mar 8:33
But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.
Cut an ear with a sword, war. Denied Jesus and his word, famine. Went fishing for his own profit instead of fishing for the Lord, self concern,
and caused two people to die on the spot for lying, death.
I see the 4 horsemen in Peter. The conquerer who wanted to lead instead of follow. White horse. The sword. The red horse. The balance between self concern and concern for others. The black horse. And the pale horse which brings death and hell.
I see all these in Peter. But then I have to remember that Peter is also a mirror of those things we find in ourselves.
So if I judge him unrighteously, or say maybe Peter did what he did, so we could see our own image through his character,
then who am I to judge?
Am I any better than he? Would I react or do the same things? Have I, will I ?
Now we have an example what not to do by his example and the Lord chastising him.
So his grace is our grace. If God forgives murderers and liars, if they repent and are converted, then there is still hope for us all.
It is our job to look at the fruit and see if therebe any bruises or discoloration or worms or rot in them.
And then take a long deep look into that fruit and see if any of those things are in your own fruit.
And pluck them out.
Just thinking..
hugs