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A Deer in the Headlights!
We’ve all been there, sort of. Remember as a child when one of your parents told you not to do something and you did it anyway and got caught and then there it was …. “the look” from one of them. What did that look feel like? Ah, oh! Busted! Trapped! A deer in the headlights! I knew I was in trouble now. I knew they loved me, but what were they going to do?
The Bible tells us everything to do and not to do and Jesus sees and hears it all.
Peter was the first to confess Jesus as the Messiah and Jesus declared Peter blessed and called him his rock, upon which the first church would be built. In faith, for a moment, he also walked on water with Jesus. That’s some pretty heady stuff there. At least for me I would be feeling a special connection with Jesus. Then Peter drew his sword in defense of Jesus, cutting of the ear of the servant Malchus. Jesus commanded Peter to “put his sword away!” Commanded? Hmm…? Peter had to have been bewildered and disheartened when his courage had melted into confusion. Then in Luke 22:33, Peter confessed he was ready to go with the Lord to prison and death.
Then he betrayed him three times. Did Peter even for a moment believe that he would ever deny Jesus? How did Peter feel when he realized he had done exactly that and then he got “the look”? Was he surprised the look came so directly at him as he was passing? Is it possible to imagine what that look must have been like and the emotions that ran through Peter? No wonder he went outside and wept bitterly.
Do you profess to be a Christian and follower of Jesus on Sunday and then go through your week to only catch yourself doing or saying something you know you shouldn’t have. Do you stop and think that Jesus saw or heard it all? Does it make you want to weep knowing you have just betrayed the Lord?
Colossians 3:17 – “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Thanks for your thoughts Sandy. I am one of those kids that received more of their share of those looks! The beautiful thing about it is grace and forgiveness!!! If we truly repent, then GOD will always accept us no matter what we have done. Similiar to the way my parents loved and forgave me.
Sandy,
Like Ed, I also got the look as a kid growing up. In fact, I think that was the normal look and when I did something right and got the “good” look, then I had to check and be sure they were looking at me.
I saw your heart when we were in Africa visiting the orphanages. Those children loved you and I saw your love for them in how you looked at them. That is the look we all desire from those we love.
Thanks Sandy for being such a great example of grace and love.
Frank
I confess, it is easier to be “Christian” on Sundays. That is when I feel the most love and support from my church family. I am not the best example of Jesus. I have adopted a principle that Alan gave to us. When you struggle, serve.
Thanks so much for sharing and being there for me. You are generouos with your heart and yoru time.
“The look” has never been a positive thing around here. I give the students “the look” and it is amazing they know what they were doing wrong and straighten up. Every now and then they look at me and say “what” like they don’t know the rules. Peter didn’t have that problem Jesus told him what would happen and it happened.
I want to give more good looks to let them know how proud I am of them.
No matter how much we love someone, we still say or do things we regret by acting on our sinful nature. In the last 3 years I’ve learned it’s okay to not try so hard to be perfect, but in realizing my humanity, I found that I can be rather rotten at times. Balancing life can be tricky, but it’s worth the while knowing that there is a God who is ALWAYS in control. Thanks Lord for teaching us through the thick and thin….we need you just as much when we are good as when we are “bad.”
At this point in my life I am the giver of “the look” to my two young daughters. And while I am hoping that my “look” evolves immediate sack-cloth-and-ashes type repentance and a little bit of emotional pain to drive the point home, I don’t think this is the look Jesus gave Peter. I imagine Jesus’ “look” was a look of extreme love and sadness – not for himself, but for Peter. Jesus didn’t need to add punishment to Peter. Peter was torturing himself. Jesus felt his pain and bore his disappointment in the moment of that look. I believe it was Jesus loving look that made Peter weep with a sense of his own unworthiness.