Going Ahead

 

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK

GOING AHEAD

Mark 14:26-31

26 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 27 "You will all fall away," Jesus told them, "for it is written: "'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.'   28 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."  29 Peter declared, "Even if all fall away, I will not." 30 "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "today — yes, tonight — before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times."  31 But Peter insisted emphatically, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the others said the same.

NIV

We are so very aware of the heart of Peter and how he insisted he was willing to die with Jesus before he would disown him, yet he did just that three times. But we are also aware of the pain in his heart after he did. Although Peter has that in his past, became one of the most powerful witnesses for Christ, and at some point in his life, he did die for his faith in Christ. This narrative might be about the fact that Jesus knew what Peter was about to do, but more than that it is about Jesus knowing that he would not remain dead and he told them as much saying that after he had risen he would go ahead of them into Galilee. There is also the fact that Jesus knew that although they would scatter when he was arrested, they would all gather together in Galilee. We do know that at one point after Jesus had risen, after all the events that happened at the tomb on the risen morning, which he appeared to all his disciple, with the exception of Thomas, in that locked room where they were all gathered. They may have scattered on that night in Gethsemane, but they did not disappear from each other. They remained the group that Jesus had poured his life and teaching into. They may not have known each other very well before Jesus had called them to himself, but now there were one, a unit of brothers, still with the frailty of men, but nevertheless, brothers and sisters who needed and wanted to be together. It was that way when Jesus appeared to them, and it was even more so after he has ascended and sent the Holy Spirit to anoint them with power. Today, we all may be scattered from time to time in some physical sense, living our own scattered lives in various neighborhoods and jobs, but we remain a unit, a group of followers of Christ, the church. We like being with each other, we need to be with each other without each other there remains a sense of loneliness. Although we always have Jesus and feel his presence in us, we still can feel a certain emptiness without being gathered together with our fellow believers. Today, because of this so-called pandemic and this fear of contracting a virus that just might, maybe, cause death, we have become scared and have scattered ourselves, secluding ourselves within our homes, behind closed doors, and almost living in fear, that same fear the disciples felt regarding the Chief Priests and teachers of the law, that if they found them, would have them killed as well. But after the power of the Holy Spirit came upon them, they spilled out into the streets, no fear, and boldly proclaimed their faith. Here, we go, we too have the power of the Holy Spirit and we too should be bolding spilling out of our homes, gathering together to boldly praise our Lord. Our leaders want to restrict us and isolate us, scare us into hiding in fear, scattered, but we will not go silently into the night. We are to live in the power of the Spirit, for Jesus has gone ahead of us into the Promised Land.