It's a beautiful morning here in my city. We had rain last night and it is cool out. But the sun is coming up in the East and the air smells fresh. My cup is filled with Door County Hawaiian Hazelnut Coffee. It looks to be a nice day all around.
Written in the bible is the account where the Apostle Peter swears an oath to Jesus. Our Lord then tells Peter that before the rooster crows twice he will have denied Jesus before men three times.
Peter Denies Jesus Mark 14:66-72
66 Meanwhile, Peter was in the courtyard below. One of the servant girls who worked for the high priest came by 67 and noticed Peter warming himself at the fire. She looked at him closely and said, “You were one of those with Jesus of Nazareth.[e]”
68 But Peter denied it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, and he went out into the entryway. Just then, a rooster crowed.[f]69 When the servant girl saw him standing there, she began telling the others, “This man is definitely one of them!” 70 But Peter denied it again.
A little later some of the other bystanders confronted Peter and said, “You must be one of them, because you are a Galilean.”
71 Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know this man you’re talking about!” 72 And immediately the rooster crowed the second time.
Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he broke down and wept
In the book of John we later see that Peter is restored and then goes on to lead the New Testament Church.
Yet I wonder how Peter felt through the rest of His life whenever he heard a rooster crow. Chickens were common food everywhere in those days. Each day Peter probably woke up to the sound of roosters. He was reminded every morning with his wake up call that he had denied Jesus.
My goal here is not to trash Peter but to remind you and me that we too deny Jesus when we don't live up to His standards for living. Our conscience can be that nagging rooster prodded by the Holy Spirit to remember who died for our sins and who's name we like to bear yet deny Him when we sin. I think we should all have a yard full of roosters crowing every morning as a reminder to us how we fail. So next time you are reading about Peter and the rooster put your name in Peter's place. I did and did not like it. Yet Jesus went on to use Peter in a great way. He restored him and the Holy Spirit empowered Peter to lead. So don't give up on yourself. Those roosters are just a part of cleaning us up and getting us to move in the right direction. God can and will use us to work for His Kingdom despite of our failures.
God bless. Now go and have some eggs.
Marty
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