Sunday, October 08, 2006
WILL I GO TO THE WALL?
I was flying home from a business trip last week and decided to use the flight time as an opportunity for some focused prayer. Of course, I was completely exhausted at the time from the trip I’d been on but … in between falling asleep … I was praying and trying to hear God’s voice. (Falling asleep while praying is fairly common for me. We folks with chronic fatigue could fall asleep bungee jumping. My best place to fall asleep is in the dentist's chair ... if only he'd stop waking me up and telling me to open my mouth though!)
The main focus of my prayer was Evan’s school. Our annual faith banquet is coming up. It’s our second largest fund raiser most years and, this year, the responsibility for opening up the formal part of the banquet and welcoming everyone falls on me. I was praying that I would know what to say and that I would be able to fully convey the idea of just how special this school is.
As I prayed and fell asleep … and prayed and fell asleep, one thing kept coming to me and it was this question: “Will you go to the wall for me?” It took me a bit to figure out what God was saying and, of course, I am still not sure I have it figured out. But, the small, soft voice was clearly there: “Will you go to the wall for me?” I have been to a few walls in my life. The wall between East and West Germany (when it existed) … the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem … the walls separating Palestine and Israel.
While I was on the plane, though, the image that kept coming to me was that of Peter denying that he knew Jesus. Here he was – one of those closest to Jesus … one who could not imagine himself ever denying Jesus and yet, when it came down to brass tacks, when the rubber met the road, when his back was up against the wall with seemingly no way out, he found a way out … he denied knowing this man from Nazareth.
Do we go to the wall for Jesus? How often do we skirt around things or deny things when our back is inching toward the wall? We may hang in there for as long as we feel safe but then, at the last possible second, we bail. Do we really give our all … all of our time and resources … all of our ego and pride … all of the credit for everything we are and might be … do we really give it all to Jesus? Even when our back is against the wall?
At Evan’s school, I see countless supporters and volunteers who have given it their all. None more so than my predecessor as board president, though. His name is Newell Moore and, while he remains on the board today, he was president for 17 years, helping to discern God’s will for the school and leading the school through all sorts of things – good and the seemingly not-so-good -- during that time. He has always gone to the wall for Jesus.
Part of our mission at the school is to raise up our students to be Christians who will go the wall. These kids are to be among tomorrow’s Christian leaders … we must take our charge very seriously. The school teachers and administrators strive to go to the wall so that those they are raising up will go to the wall, too.
Just as I can imagine Peter, his back pressed against the cold stones of the wall of denial, going back on the assurance he’d given that he would not deny the One who loved him most, I can also imagine Peter in John 21. This is when Jesus, back from the dead, asks Peter if he loves Him. Three times, Peter says that he does indeed love Him. “Yes, Lord. I love you … you know I do … you know I do” And how does Jesus respond? “Feed my sheep.” And that is exactly what we need to be all about at the school … feeding His sheep … raising them up so that they will go to the wall for Jesus.
After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”
“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.
Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.”
“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.
A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep." (John 21:15-17, NLT)
The main focus of my prayer was Evan’s school. Our annual faith banquet is coming up. It’s our second largest fund raiser most years and, this year, the responsibility for opening up the formal part of the banquet and welcoming everyone falls on me. I was praying that I would know what to say and that I would be able to fully convey the idea of just how special this school is.
As I prayed and fell asleep … and prayed and fell asleep, one thing kept coming to me and it was this question: “Will you go to the wall for me?” It took me a bit to figure out what God was saying and, of course, I am still not sure I have it figured out. But, the small, soft voice was clearly there: “Will you go to the wall for me?” I have been to a few walls in my life. The wall between East and West Germany (when it existed) … the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem … the walls separating Palestine and Israel.
While I was on the plane, though, the image that kept coming to me was that of Peter denying that he knew Jesus. Here he was – one of those closest to Jesus … one who could not imagine himself ever denying Jesus and yet, when it came down to brass tacks, when the rubber met the road, when his back was up against the wall with seemingly no way out, he found a way out … he denied knowing this man from Nazareth.
Do we go to the wall for Jesus? How often do we skirt around things or deny things when our back is inching toward the wall? We may hang in there for as long as we feel safe but then, at the last possible second, we bail. Do we really give our all … all of our time and resources … all of our ego and pride … all of the credit for everything we are and might be … do we really give it all to Jesus? Even when our back is against the wall?
At Evan’s school, I see countless supporters and volunteers who have given it their all. None more so than my predecessor as board president, though. His name is Newell Moore and, while he remains on the board today, he was president for 17 years, helping to discern God’s will for the school and leading the school through all sorts of things – good and the seemingly not-so-good -- during that time. He has always gone to the wall for Jesus.
Part of our mission at the school is to raise up our students to be Christians who will go the wall. These kids are to be among tomorrow’s Christian leaders … we must take our charge very seriously. The school teachers and administrators strive to go to the wall so that those they are raising up will go to the wall, too.
Just as I can imagine Peter, his back pressed against the cold stones of the wall of denial, going back on the assurance he’d given that he would not deny the One who loved him most, I can also imagine Peter in John 21. This is when Jesus, back from the dead, asks Peter if he loves Him. Three times, Peter says that he does indeed love Him. “Yes, Lord. I love you … you know I do … you know I do” And how does Jesus respond? “Feed my sheep.” And that is exactly what we need to be all about at the school … feeding His sheep … raising them up so that they will go to the wall for Jesus.
After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”
“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.
Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.”
“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.
A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep." (John 21:15-17, NLT)
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