Who's Writing the Story?

The 11^th and 12^th grade students and I have been storying through the Bible together this year. The curriculum, called Echo the Story, written by Michael Novelli, is taking us through the major stories of the Bible. The catch is that we are supposed to try to hear the stories as if we had never heard them before. As we read more and more of them we can reference back to ones that we have read and try to find the connections between them.

One of the techniques that is suggested for hearing the story in a new way is to imagine it as a movie. If I were watching this as a movie, what would I notice? Who are the characters? What would stand out? What story is the director trying to tell us?

As I approached this text, I tried to hear it for the first time. The movie that I saw, and this sermon, could be titled "Who's writing the story?"

Let's pray: Father God, thank you for giving us life. Jesus, thank you for showing us the way to live. Holy Spirit come and lead us into Your truth. 

We can see from the stories about Peter that he is a man of action. He is quick to give his opinion and to say what the others maybe are thinking but are too timid to say. He is daring. He challenges Jesus on several occasions – "if you say so." "If it's really you…"" that won't happen to You." he's a tough guy. He almost seems like Jesus' bodyguard. 

So here we are at the Passover. This is a religious observance the scope of which the western world can't imagine. The entire city of Jerusalem is observing these holy days. People have come from all over the region to participate. Hundreds of thousands of people. Jesus has ridden through the town with crowds of people shouting and cheering for Him. Jesus has gone into the temple and thrown the tables around. Peter is right there with him. This is IT! Bring it! 

They gather together for their marching orders. Peter is ready to hear how he can be a part of the revolution! But Jesus is taking off His clothes and dressing like a slave. He is starting to wash the feet of the others. Peter says "not me! Don't wash my feet!" Jesus responds by saying, "you can't be a part of My inner circle unless I wash your feet." "in that case, says Peter, wash my head and hands too! – count me IN!"

Jesus then tells them some more of what is about to happen. This is the big moment. The pep-talk.  The rousing battle cry. Peter is waiting for the plan. What Jesus is saying doesn't quite compute. Talk about death and suffering. This again? Come on Jesus, get to the good stuff. Then Jesus starts to talk about being betrayed and having to leave. This gets Peter's attention "where are you going?!" Jesus says, "you can't come with Me now. you'll have to wait." Peter is anxious to act "why can't I come now?! I am ready to die for you!" Jesus answered, “Die for me? I tell you the truth, Peter—before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.

in another account of this same story, Jesus quotes an old testament scripture and tells the disciples that it will be fulfilled by them. Jesus told them, “Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ …Peter speaks up again, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.”

They all take a half mile walk together outside the city to a more rustic location. A mountainside with a garden. Jesus seems stressed out. He asks His friends to wait and pray with Him. Not exactly the type of orders Peter is looking for. So he falls asleep. He awakes to the sound of a crowd. People are coming for Jesus. suddenly Peter leaps up, draws a sword and attacks! He cuts off someone's ear! I did not see that coming! where did he get a sword? why this sudden violence? Jesus puts the guy's ear back on and asks Peter to back off. "Am I not supposed to do God's will?! put your sword away!"

They arrest Jesus. Take Him away. Peter is not daunted. He is not going to fall away. He is going to go where Jesus is going. "I'll show You how wrong You are, Jesus!" He goes in and sits with the guards and waits to see how it would all end. He's in the courtyard. Someone recognizes him. "hey you are one of that man's followers, right?" Peter wants to stay close to Jesus. He is formulating a plan. "no, not me." Can't blow his cover. Now Peter is warming himself by the fire. What to do next? How can I get Jesus out of here? "you are with that guy, aren't you?" Peter stills denies it. In one account it says that an hour passes before they notice his accent and say, "you are not from around here, you must be with that prisoner" now Peter gets mad and starts yelling and swearing that he doesn't know Him. Right then the rooster crows. In Luke's gospel it says "At that moment Jesus turns and looks at Peter. Suddenly, the words flash through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And Peter leaves the courtyard, weeping bitterly.

two things hit me when I read this story:

what if Jesus hadn't predicted the denials?

and

why is Peter crying?

If Jesus hadn't predicted Peter's denials, would he have even acknowledged them? or noticed? he seems clearly preoccupied. He has a sword which he has already used once, and he has made some bold statements. He has an agenda – his own version of the story that he is trying to bring about. When we abandon Jesus story for our own, all bets are off. "What's the big deal? If I say I am with Jesus I blow my cover and then what help will I be to Him?" He doesn't seem at all bothered by saying it. Oh, the things we justify when we think we know better than Jesus.

So now this tough guy is crying bitterly. why? Because he feels bad that he said he didn't know Jesus? That's part of it for sure. But there's a bigger story going on here. Jesus looks at him and His words come back to Peter. Who does that? Who tells you specifically what you are going to do within a certain time frame? If someone said to me "before dinner tonight, you will have 3 conversations about Abraham Lincoln" and I say "you're crazy, I never talk about Abraham Lincoln" and go about my day. When dinnertime rolls around if that had happened despite my best efforts to keep it from happening, I would freak out! "How did you know that?!!" "Did you make that happen?!"

I think that when the rooster crowed, something extraordinary happened to Peter. I think in that moment he realized that Jesus was God! A personal prophecy fulfilled on his behalf. To show Peter that He was in charge. To show Peter His power.  To show Peter that His Words are True.

In that moment, Peter knew there would be no rescue. Peter knew that Jesus had to die. He finally pieced it together. This to me seems like something a tough guy like Peter would weep about. Not being able to save Jesus. Sitting idly by as His Friend, His Master, His Commanding Officer is taken away to be killed.

Peter finally gets it. His aha moment comes as the rooster crows. He surrenders.

It's not his story to write. It's God who is writing the story. And He still is. The script is right here for us. The more difficult parts played by the most ordinary folks. 

Jesus has told us what is going to happen and how to respond. There will be trouble. Take heart. Turn the other cheek. Remain in Me. Love your enemies. Leave it all behind for my sake. Forgive. Don't worry about your life. Carry your cross.

But we, like Peter, say to Him, "Heaven forbid! that's not the way the story is supposed to go. You are supposed to take on the bad guys, save us from this oppression, and lead the rebellion." "That's more like Satan's way of doing things", Jesus reminds us. "I have to be obedient to My Father. You would be better off doing the same."

not my will, but Yours.  not my way, but Yours.  not my plan, but Yours. not my story, but Yours.

Before I wrap up, I want to show you a clip from a movie. I am sorry if you have not seen it before because it is truly outstanding. The name of the film is "Stranger than Fiction" and it is about a man named Harold Crick who is hearing voices. Not voices, a voice. A narrator, in fact, who is narrating his every move. He is being driven quite mad by this and seeks the help of a literature professor.  Eventually, this professor recognizes the voice in Harold's head as a famous writer who always kills off her main character. Harold meets his author and she gives him the finished novel. He reads it and gives it to his professor friend to read.

This is the scene after the professor finishes the book: Stranger than fiction - You have to die - YouTube

I won't tell you what Harold chooses. because it's a great film and you should go watch it if you haven't seen it. But I will tell you that we all have this same choice. So go ahead if you want to: play it safe, find a way out of difficult situations, avoid being a part of the larger story. But even if you choose to hide from your Author now, His story will prevail. What God says will happen is TRUTH. As the professor says, "even if you avoid this death, another will find you. And I guarantee that it won't be nearly as meaningful as what the Author has written. The hero dies, and the story goes on forever."

I will leave you with this quote from Frederick Buechner:

"…the life you clutch, hoard, guard, and play safe with is in the end a life worth little to anybody, including yourself; and only a life given away for love’s sake is a life worth living. To bring this point home, God shows us a Man who gave His life away to the extent of dying a national disgrace without a penny in the bank or a friend to His name. In terms of men’s wisdom, He was a perfect fool, and anybody who thinks he can follow Him without making something like the same kind of fool of himself is laboring not under a cross, but a delusion."

Let us pray:

God You say in Your Word that the one who loses his life for Your sake will find it. Help us to find our true life in You. Help us to surrender to You and let You write Your story Your way. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  In the name of Your Son Jesus, our Example and our Friend. Amen

BENEDICTION:

Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.