Being one of four siblings, and being the youngest, I got quite adept at playing the “It wasn’t me” game. I remember one time I was having a fight with my oldest brother (which I often did). I had saved my allowance money to buy a really cool accessory for my G.I. Joe (the 12” size). It was a paraglider that actually flew like a kite. I was having trouble assembling it, so I asked my brother to help me out. In the process, he accidentally broke an important piece, ruining it. I threw a major fit and immediately blamed my brother for doing it on purpose, for which I could provide no logical reason as to why he would deliberately break my toy. My mother asked what happened and I proceeded to give my sob story, and my brother told his side of the story. I denied I had anything to do with it. My mother was no fool, and she quickly surmised that my brother was only trying to help, and I was being overly dramatic. Okay, a brat. Accepting responsibility for our actions can be a difficult thing.
There was no doubt that Peter loved Jesus. He swore he would die for Christ before he would ever deny Him. Yet that was the very thing that happened. In John 18:25-27, Peter was among the crowd and was identified as having been with Jesus, and for the second and third time Peter denied it. And after the third time, the rooster crowed, just as Jesus predicted. Peter ran and wept because he knew he had betrayed Jesus. We also know the Pilate could not find fault with Jesus, yet he deferred to the crowd to disavow any responsibility for Jesus’ conviction and ultimately his crucifixion.
Taking responsibility can and often does lead to pain. Not taking responsibility and letting someone else take the blame leads to pain and guilt. And while my denial about who was responsible for breaking my toy is vastly less significant than Peter’s denial and Pilate’s deferral, the result is the same: pain. We are challenged in our faith in Christ daily. Are we truly ready to accept the responsibility of choosing Christ?
There was no doubt that Peter loved Jesus. He swore he would die for Christ before he would ever deny Him. Yet that was the very thing that happened. In John 18:25-27, Peter was among the crowd and was identified as having been with Jesus, and for the second and third time Peter denied it. And after the third time, the rooster crowed, just as Jesus predicted. Peter ran and wept because he knew he had betrayed Jesus. We also know the Pilate could not find fault with Jesus, yet he deferred to the crowd to disavow any responsibility for Jesus’ conviction and ultimately his crucifixion.
Taking responsibility can and often does lead to pain. Not taking responsibility and letting someone else take the blame leads to pain and guilt. And while my denial about who was responsible for breaking my toy is vastly less significant than Peter’s denial and Pilate’s deferral, the result is the same: pain. We are challenged in our faith in Christ daily. Are we truly ready to accept the responsibility of choosing Christ?