“Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and stuck the high priest’s servant cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)” (John 18:10 NIV)
We’ve all been Simon Peter, haven’t we? His anger was justifiable; his Savior was being arrested! Surely Jesus would want him to fight for His honor! But how would Peter confirm His approval? Jesus was left behind in the proverbial dust of Peter’s outrage!
If Peter had slowed down and paid attention to Jesus’ leading, he would have realized how Jesus was allowing all this to unfold. More than that, Jesus was cooperative with the arrest. It is interesting though, that amidst His cooperation, His admission of identity, “I am He” was forceful enough to to send soldiers to the ground in response.” (John 18:6) Jesus was clearly in control, but compliant. He demonstrated His power through meekness.
Like Simon Peter, I get myself in trouble when I get ahead of Jesus and I fail to follow His lead. It’s silly, I forget that He knows all (John 18:4) and has a perfect plan already in motion. My best move is matching His tone and pace. I need to learn to give way to His lead because His will is perfect. Mine is misguided by questionable motives and fickle emotions. But if I stay in step with Jesus, I can trust where we are going to be good in the grand scheme of eternity.
Peter tried to anticipate where Jesus was going and jumped the gun — or pulled his sword in this case. We wind up making a real mess of things when we attempt to anticipate the will of a sovereign God. We forget just how spiritually nearsighted we are (legally blind, really). Us getting ahead of God is the equivalent of letting a map-less, short-sighted person lead the way. It just doesn’t make sense. God should always guide us because He alone knows where we are going, how to get there and the appropriate timeline for our travels.
“Wait on the Lord and keep His way, and He shall exalt you to inherit the land, when the wicked are cut off you shall see it.” (Psalm 37:34 NIV)
We remember that God will ultimately deal with the wicked, but in the meantime, He’s still converting them. We are grateful for this forbearance! The mercy Jesus exhibits towards Malchus and his captors is the precise same mercy He extended toward us. We don’t deserve it anymore than Malchus and his cronies, yet we are with Jesus because of His kindness calling us to repentance. Who are we to deny another of that same opportunity?
Lord, today we recognize Your pace and leading in our life. Forgive us for rushing ahead, presuming upon Your plan and causing bloodshed. Help us pray attention to Your pacing, convinced of Your long-sighted strategy and our own inadequacies. We are ill-equipped when it comes to vision and motives. Help us stay in step with You and Your will until Kingdom comes. May we watch, walk, and work at Your perfect pace, trusting Your flawless process. Amen.