Resurrecting Hope Part 2 - A Deeper Dive
Message Recap
This is part 2 of the current sermon series Resurrecting Hope. The four-part series looks at how celebrating the hope of the resurrection of Jesus can extend beyond just a single Sunday each year. During the Easter season - Easter Sunday plus the six following Sundays according to the liturgical calendar - we remember that because Jesus lives, we have hope.
This week's scripture recounts Jesus’ interaction with Simon Peter in which Jesus asks three times if Peter loves him (see John 21:15-19). Remember that on the night he was arrested, Jesus accurately predicted Peter would deny Jesus three times. Peter had insisted he would lay down his life for his friend, only to be told, “... Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!” (John 13:38). While Jesus knew Peter’s denials would happen, that knowledge almost certainly did not prevent the disappointment Jesus must have felt.
We all face disappointments in our relationships. Forgiving someone who has failed us is challenging. We make mistakes. We grieve the end of a marriage or the estrangement of a family member.
How we live our lives, conduct ourselves, and treat others can either be a confirmation or a denial of our connection to Jesus. We sometimes act as though we have no idea who Jesus is. We break trusts, speak harshly to others, and are quick to judge. Author and public speaker Brennan Manning once said,
“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle.”
When we proclaim our loyalty to Jesus within the safety of the church, only to deny Jesus with our actions for the world to see, we are as guilty as Peter. Sometimes it’s difficult to distinguish between believers and non-believers because of how we behave. Wouldn’t it be nice if we couldn’t differentiate because of how we love one another?
But, we take heart in knowing Peter’s story did not end with his denials, and ours doesn’t have to either. In the verses leading up to this week’s passage, we’re told that Jesus reveals himself to some of the disciples who have gone fishing. Among them is Peter. At first, they don’t realize it’s Jesus. Imagine what Peter must have felt when he realized who it was. He never had the opportunity to make things right after his denials. Yet, Jesus was taking steps to restore the relationship. Jesus accepted Peter where he was and resurrected the hope that they could restore the relationship. Ultimately Peter, through his actions, was fully reconciled with Jesus.
Can you extend the same grace Jesus showed Peter after someone damages your relationship? How often do you hold a grudge instead of working toward reconciliation? When we hold a grudge against someone who has hurt us, we lose sight of the love of Jesus that can resurrect and restore our hope and our relationships. That is the subject of this week’s Deeper Dive.
When We Can’t Let Go
All of us, at one time or another, has likely either held a grudge against someone or have been the target of a lasting resentment. Grudges can be minor annoyances, like in a sibling rivalry or healthy competition. But they can also become dangerous when thoughts of doing harm enter into the equation. We justify our grudges by pointing out how the person wronged us or how they just irritate us with their behavior.
We can find examples of grudges when we turn to the Bible. For example, in the book of Genesis, we read about Joseph, the youngest and favorite of Jacob’s children, who boasted about his dreams that foretold of a time when his older brothers would bow down to him. Incensed by his behavior, Joseph’s brothers held a grudge that led to them to selling Joseph to a caravan of Ishmaelites. But this story is one of forgiveness as we see an adult Joseph forgive his brothers and reunite with them and the father who thought Joseph was dead.
King David speaks of grudges in Psalm 55 when he reflects on the resentment held against him by King Saul. The people saw David’s achievements as exceeding Saul's, and the man Saul considered to be almost like a son became his enemy.
Joseph and King David found the hateful grudges held against them unwarranted. Still, both men chose forgiveness and the higher road, just as Jesus extended grace rather than holding a grudge against the disciples who abandoned him in his time of need.
Holding a grudge against someone who wronged us contradicts how God wants his children to behave. Through Moses, God instructed the Israelites by saying,
“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”
A grudge that results from a minor problem with someone will only continue to grow as the person finds more at fault with the person they are frustrated with. Resentments can become all-consuming to the point where they have no interest in seeing the person prosper or even be freed from what this person did to them.
Jesus taught that if you have an issue with someone, you need to hold them and yourself accountable for what caused the problem and then try to work it out. The Apostle Paul reminds us in his letter to the Colossians,
“13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
Love God and love people. Let go of the resentments you hold. We all make mistakes. At times we all disappoint others. Have confidence and hope in the love of Jesus that can resurrect and restore our relationships from disappointments and hurts.