011K The Chastening of the Lord “… whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth ...” (Hebrews 12:6) To chasten in the Scriptures means to correct by punishment, or to inflict pain to reclaim. Now, it’s a given: If the Lord loves you, at some point or another He will chasten you, and it can be very painful and difficult to bear. The question is: Will we bear it? There are some who haven’t. In the New Testament I don’t know anyone whom the Lord rebuked and corrected more often than Peter. Remember that stormy night when Peter walked on the water to Jesus? He went out some distance from the boat, his faith failed and fear took over, and he went down like a rock. Jesus saved him, and then said, reprovingly, “…O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” (Matthew 14:31) Now surely Jesus understood why Peter had doubted. So why did He chide him? He’d tried, hadn’t he? It was because the Lord knew that Peter was better than his performance. And do you know the amazing thing? – There’s no record in the scripture of Peter pouting or murmuring. He learned and he went on. At Caesarea Philippi Jesus announced to His disciples openly that He was going back to Jerusalem where He would “…suffer many things of the elders [and] chief priests and scribes, and be killed…” (Matthew 16:21) This offended Peter; he was upset. He took the Lord “…and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee Lord: this shall not be unto thee.” (Matthew 16:22) Now, Peter meant well, but evidently innocent intentions do not excuse arrogant attitudes. The Lord turned his back on Peter abruptly, and said, “…Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me...” (Matthew 16:22) Oo! – That was harsh! But who was Peter to presume to correct or direct his Lord in His divinely appointed mission? – another rough edge knocked off of the ‘man of rock.’ Remember when Judas comes forward in the Garden of Gethsemane with the mob to arrest the Savior? It’s Peter who bolts forward with a sword in the Master’s defense. Again, he is sharply rebuked. “…Put up thy sword into the [thy] sheath: the cup which my Father hath given [giveth] me, shall I not drink it?” (John 18:11) Why does the Lord rebuke Peter for trying to defend Him? – Because Peter’s actions served Lucifer, not God. Just because we’re going hard in service doesn’t mean we’re going in the right direction. Zeal without knowledge is dangerous! Now, compare Peter to Judas. The betrayer was rebuked only once we have record of, and was so offended as a result that he sold the Master for his wounded pride. Peter, on the other hand, bore the indignation of the Lord, the shame of His rebuke, the sidelong looks from his peers, the rumors behind his back, and the slurs on his name even to this day. He bore it all to be with his Lord. Peter is great! – not because he was perfect, but because he endured the Lord’s discipline to become so. The Lord changed Peter’s name, precisely because Simon Bar-Jona endured and would endure the Lord’s chastening. Today he is Peter – the ‘Man of Rock.’ Chastening hurts; it hurts a lot! It’s ‘grievous,’ Paul said. (Hebrews 12:11) But if it is endured, oh my friends, it disciplines and trains our souls in righteousness. It sweetens our relationship with our Father in Heaven. Please make this a matter of faith. A loving Master will never chasten you more than He has the power to heal. Glenn Rawson – August 17, 2008 Music: Journey Home, track 4 (edited) (October) – Jay Richards Song: Be Still, My Soul – Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra soundsofsunday
Posted on: Sun, 24 Aug 2014 12:47:21 +0000
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