don't confront people with their failures, surround them with your love

​Two of my favorite words in the bible are AND PETER.

Peter was one of Jesus' disciples. He could be cocky at times. Before his death, Jesus was warning his disciples that Satan would try to separate them from Him. Peter scoffed at that notion. He told Jesus, “Master, I’m ready for anything with you. I’d go to jail for you. I’d die for you!”

Jesus replied, “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Peter, but before the rooster crows you will have three times denied that you know me.”

And indeed, before the rooster crowed, Peter three different times denied that he'd ever known or been with Jesus. The bible tells us in Luke right after the third time:

At that very moment, the last word hardly off his lips, a rooster crowed. Just then, the Master turned and looked at Peter. Peter remembered what the Master had said to him: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” He went out and cried and cried and cried.

Can you imagine that look? Can you imagine Peter's tears? If so, then you can imagine why these two words - and Peter - become so powerful.

When Jesus rose from the dead shortly after Peter denied knowing him, an angel told the women who'd discovered the empty tomb to "go tell his disciples AND PETER" that Jesus had risen from the dead.

Peter WAS a disciple. Why did the angel feel a need to give Peter his own space in those directions.

Well, I think because Jesus wanted to make sure that Peter knew he was about to be surrounded by Jesus' love and not confrontation. After Peter bragged that he would never fail Jesus, and then promptly turned around and did so 3 times in 24 hours, Jesus didn't forget it.

But Jesus wasn't hunting Peter down to give him a big I told you so, he was hunting him down to tell him he loved him.

And Peter remembered that. He always remembered that response.

Peter went on to be one of the most passionate and compassionate preachers ever. In fact, I would argue many of us have a chance to remember Jesus ourselves because of the way Peter remembered how Jesus responded to his failure.

Three times Peter failed Jesus - and three times Jesus made sure Peter knew he wanted to love him - not get even with him.

It's our human nature to love a celebration. We love to come together and high five one another at the finish line of a big victory. I think we remember those moments. We take pictures of them and hang them on our wall and treasure them.

You know what I think we remember most, though? We remember when we fell down before the finish line. We remember when it wasn't our day and we just couldn't go on. We remember the days we failed and we were down on the ground covered in dirt and looking up. Oh, with vivid memories, and all the emotions that go with them, we remember the hands that were reaching down to help us up.

Two of my favorite words in the bible are AND PETER. Because when I hear them, often I feel myself looking up and hearing Jesus say - AND KEITH.