Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you.” Matthew 16:22
Dear Jesus, if an oxymoron is the juxtaposition of incongruous terms—like deafening silence, jumbo shrimp, planned spontaneity or peace offensive, then the ultimate oxymoron is “Never, Lord!”. Those two words just don’t belong together. Yet, like Peter, we often join them together in an unhappy marriage.
When you tell us that our need of salvation is so great that only the gospel of grace can save people like us, and yet we persist in trying to merit a relationship with God, or at least “supplement” what you’ve done for us on the cross, in essence we pull you aside, rebuke you and say, “Never, Lord! You haven’t done quite enough for us.”
When you assure us that your grace will be sufficient—that in our weakness your strength will be made perfect, and yet we persist in unbelief and start looking for sufficiency somewhere else, we’re really saying to your face, “Never, Lord! we need more. Your grace won’t be quite enough for us in our difficult relationships, ongoing joblessness, painful loneliness, crumbling health…”
When you call us to participate in your big story redemption—your commitment to gather your Bride from every nation and transform our broken world, and yet we persist in living little narratives of personal peace and fulfillment, we’re really saying, “Never, Lord! Your glory is not as important as our happiness.”
Have mercy on us, Jesus. Have mercy on me. We humbly offer our “Yes!”—a thousand times “Yes!”, to whatever you have promised and planned, in our lives and in your world. Please take us aside and rebuke us with the gospel on a daily basis. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. So very Amen, we pray in your most wonderful and praise-worthy name.
