7-1-24
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Easter has passed; and Pentecost \u2013 the \u201cbirth-day of the Church,\u201d the day on which the Holy Spirit descended upon believers in the Upper Room \u2013 which is observed so many days after the Resurrection of Jesus, has likewise been celebrated.
I pray in your lives that Pentecost has been observed and celebrated. Let us distinguish between the Church and denominations; and let us always cherish the gift, and Gifts, of the Holy Spirit from our Father. (After all, what children would neglect or reject gifts from their loving parents???)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I am going to imagine an encounter between two of the Disciples during those momentous days in Jerusalem. Its details are fictional: I am compressing and conflating events between Jesus\u2019s Crucifixion and the Day of Pentecost; these two men could not have had this face-to-face encounter. But aspects are nonetheless true: their actions, motivations, and reactions are true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In imagining this dialog, I am confident of its verisimilitude, because we each have a little of these two Disciples, Judas and Peter, within us. I do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Peter: The Lord was taken from us, betrayed to be accused by the Jews and turned over to the Romans, and\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Judas: I know! I was the one who betrayed Him\u2026 Surely you know.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Peter: Yes, of course. We knew that you slipped away during the Last Supper and accepted a bribe of 30 pieces of silver to betray Him. At the moment we had wondered what Jesus meant when He said, \u201cWhat you are going to do, do quickly.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Judas: It was my decision, but we all heard Jesus say, \u201cOne of you will betray me.\u201d You all asked, \u201cIs it I, Lord?\u201d and I even asked, \u201cIs it I?\u201d and Jesus looked at me and answered, \u201cYou have said so.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Peter: So how could you do it? Was that not a warning? You had the chance to resist that temptation, to change your plan! You lived and walked and talked with the Lord, as we all did. You knew He was the Messiah!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Judas: Yes! We all lived and worked together as brothers for three years! So how do <\/em>you explain that you betrayed Him too? You failed Him likewise!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Peter: Yes\u2026 I did betray Him too. But my sins did not lead to His Jesus\u2019 death\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Judas: So <\/em>your life was more precious than Jesus\u2019s? More than <\/em>mine, I suppose? You thought you would save your neck by denying you even <\/em>knew Him?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Peter: Yes\u2026 I always was impulsive. It is no excuse. And, as with you, the Lord also looked into my face and prophesied what I would do. In my pride, I protested that \u201cEven if they all fall away, I will never fall away\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Judas: And the Lord was even more specific about you, that before the rooster would crow, you would deny knowing Him not once but three times\u2026!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Peter: I know, I know. But Judas, after your betrayal, after Jesus was taken and falsely accused, and beaten and tortured and sentenced to death\u2026 did you repent?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Judas: I was bitterly sorry. I grieved. I gave the Master over to be killed. I went to the Jews and returned the pieces of silver\u2026 But they laughed at me, and threw the coins to the ground. They mocked me.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Peter: You could have\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Judas: I did the only thing I could think of doing. I had betrayed the Savior. He in Whom no sin was found. Whose only crime was Love\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Peter: You hanged yourself. Judas: Did you go to Golgotha? Were you there when He died?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Peter. \u2026 No. I hid. I was afraid for my life. We all huddled together. Those days, after Jesus died and was buried\u2026 were the darkest days you could imagine. He left us. We were alone. And none of us had spoken up for Him\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Judas: Did <\/em>you think to hang yourself? <\/em>You betrayed Him too!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Peter: Maybe it was my impulsive nature\u2026 but\u2026 I prayed to God. I needed to be forgiven. I begged for mercy. I was lost, confused\u2026 and had sinned against the Savior of humankind. I prayed for God to help me, to forgive me, to renew my faith. What else could I do?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Two sinners. Judas and Peter. \u201cWhat else could they do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n You know \u201cthe rest of the story.\u201d The three women who had gone to the tomb to anoint Jesus\u2019s body became the first evangelists! He had risen from the dead, and they ran to find the cowering Disciples and share the news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Peter \u2013 the unhanged traitor \u2013 remained impulsive some more days. The Disciples beheld Jesus, some even incredulous. Thomas had to feel the wounds in Jesus\u2019s side to know He was indeed the Savior in their midst. Some went with Jesus to the Mount of Transfiguration to see Him bodily rise to Heaven\u2026 the final confirmation of His divinity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then the Disciples returned to the Upper Room and \u2013 impulsively \u2013 argued a bit about how to organize things, or not, going forward. But\u2026 the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised came upon them, and on others gathered with them. They spoke in \u201cother tongues.\u201d Thereafter they received spiritual gifts, supernatural powers promised forever after to all Believers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And \u2013 miracle of miracles? \u2013 Peter was no longer impulsive, immature, foolish. He became a \u201crock,\u201d the leader of the Church, strong in faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This story is not about sins we are capable of committing. It is a lesson in how we should respond when we sin. We know<\/em> how God will respond if we approach in true faith. He is the God of mercies who heals and forgives. We can pray, always; and we can pray for each other.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/em>Judas: No one to mourn. I was alone, despising myself. I did what I deserved. But… you\u2026? After you denied knowing Jesus when He was being persecuted? Not standing up for Him? What did <\/em>you do?
<\/em>Peter: I was remorseful too! Especially when I was present in Jerusalem when they tortured Him and spat on Him and whipped Him and nailed His wrists and feet to a cross and\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n