Day 40 Palm Sunday March 29 – [P] Peace
RO40: A fast is supposed to help you gain control, self-mastery over the passions of your life. Sit down with the Holy Spirit and say “Lord, you tell me, what is something you want me to fast on during this Lenten experience?” // Real prayer. Consider making a dedicated time to pray. // Get into the scriptures. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you which book of the scriptures He wants you to dive into. Then spend some time digging into the Word of God and then ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you how you should apply it to your life.
John 12: 12-16
When the great crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took palm branches and went out to meet him, and cried out: “Hosanna! “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel.”
Isaiah 50: 4-7
Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear; // The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
Phillipians 2: 6-11
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Mark 14: 1-15, 47
The poor you will always have with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them, but you will not always have me.// Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will.” // Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” // It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.”
In the Palm Sunday readings we hear many stories about Jesus’ sacrifice for us. And in that story we watch Peter deny Jesus three times. We know it’s coming. We know he’ll do it before the cock crows twice. What’s more is we know that Jesus even tells Peter that he will fail Him – and so Peter himself even knew it was coming.
Instead of being disheartened by this I actually find it encouraging.
Think about it: Jesus’ hand-picked disciple, who knew Jesus in the flesh, who loved Jesus, who believed Jesus, who followed Him, and who was even given the “heads up” by Jesus himself that he was about to fail Jesus still had a hard time following Jesus.
Why I find this encouraging: Even Jesus’ disciples made mistakes.
Peter failed Jesus even though he knew him personally and God revealed Himself to his very face. He was constantly in His presence learning God’s message and living with God for God. And yet he still wasn’t a perfect follower.
When a challenging moment came to pick God over something else (money, vanity, self-interest) even Jesus disciples chose themselves instead of Him.
But what is even more encouraging is that Peter doesn’t use the shame he felt in failing Jesus to hide away from the world forever, to think he wasn’t worthy and therefore no longer try to follow Him. No! What did he then do? Peter recognized his failings and then worked hard to be better disciple. He proclaimed the Gospel and helped build the church.
Continue to Day 41+
Give God Your Yes 