The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Mark 14:66-72, “And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came,

67 and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him, and said, ‘You, too, were with Jesus the Nazarene.’

68 “But he denied it, saying, ‘I neither know nor understand what you are talking about.’ And he went out onto the porch.”

69 “And the maid saw him, and began once more to say to the bystanders, ‘This is one of them!’

70 “But again he was denying it. And after a little while the bystanders were again saying to Peter, ‘Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean too.’

71 “But he began to curse and swear, ‘I do not know this man you are talking about!’

72 “And immediately a cock crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark to him, ‘Before a cock crows twice, you will deny Me three times.’ And he began to weep.”

It would hardly be possible to call Peter a coward. It was Peter who drew his sword and severed the ear of the servant of the high priest in the presence of soldiers in the Garden of Gethsemane. It was Peter who had followed Jesus when He was forcefully taken to the high priest for interrogation. Yet, even the bravest of men often overstep themselves with respect to their courage.

Several times Peter was challenged with being a follower of Jesus; each time, he denied it. Once he withdrew from the accuser and “went out onto the porch.” But like a bird that continues to return to a carcus for food, the accusers continued to pester Peter, accusing him again and again of being a Jesus-follower. In desperation, Peter lost the courage he had previously displayed and denied knowing Jesus or even what all of this was about.

It is at this point in the biblical account that we need to be careful. It says, “(Peter) began to curse and swear.” It was clearly a denial, but the word “curse” (???????????) in Greek does not mean using foul or crude language. Peter did not use Jesus’ name in the way men curse in our day. Rather, he invoked a curse upon himself in the effort to enforce his denial. Oh, it was wrong! No doubt about that. But, it was not what we today call cussing. In courts of law, those giving testimony are required to place their hand on the Bible and swear to tell the truth: Swearing in that sense is what is meant with regard to Peter.

Have you ever denied Jesus? People and circumstances often make denial seem easier than admitting that we know Him and belong to Him. Yet, when we remember that He loves us and died on the Cross to take away our sins, that recollection should be sufficient strength to stand up for Him in any circumstance and before any people! Prepare yourself now to face any circumstance that might lead you to deny Him. Live in the Word, the Bible. Live in an atmosphere of prayer. Evaluate every possible circumstance in a spiritual light. Trust the Holy Spirit to give you the courage and the words to speak. It will be worth it all when we see Jesus!

We pray daily for your strength to withstand temptation,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”