John 18:10, 11  Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” (NIV)

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Peter had something to prove. 

He was a macho macho man. If he lived in Texas today, he would have a four-wheel drive pickup with big, thick mud tires, a mammoth trailer hitch, a lift kit, and enough lights to blind every deer in the woods at night. 

He wanted everyone to know that if they were going to get to Jesus, they had to come through him. 

Old Pete was probably good with a sword when it was a flopping fish whose head he was taking off. Malchus, however, was better at swerving than Peter was at swinging. Mal lost an ear. Jesus put it back. (See Luke 22:49-51.) He also put Pete back. He let Pete know that if he needed defending, there were better, more capable beings than Pete and his stinky, fish-smelling sword to do the job. (See Matthew 26:52, 53.)

It also comes to mind that Jesus doesn’t need to be defended today. He doesn’t need our swords or guns. He doesn’t need us to hate anyone on his behalf. He loves everyone and wants all people from every tribe, tongue, and nation to come to know him and experience him in a deep and abiding relationship. Anyone with a deep and abiding relationship knows this. 

Revelation 7:9-10 says,

“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands, and they cried out in a loud voice:

‘Salvation belongs to our God, 
who sits on the throne, 
and to the Lamb.'” 

When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment is, he replied,

“’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.”
(See Matthew 22:37-40.)

Love God with all you got. Love your neighbor as you love yourself. This includes my Vietnamese neighbor, my African American neighbor, my Hispanic neighbors, and the white people too. Jesus never limited his love to any one people group. Jesus loves everybody, and so should we. 

If we want to prove how much we love Jesus, we will not do it with guns and swords, but with deeds and love. We will serve as he served. We will wash feet. We will feed the hungry. We will heal the sick. We will speak words of truth and life. We will edify, encourage, and instill hope. 

We will not fear those who are different from us. Instead, we will see them as created in God’s image, just as we are. We will ask the Holy Spirit to draw them to Jesus. We will trust the Judge of All the Earth to do right. And we will learn to do right with him. 

Thank you, Peter, for messing up so often. Some of the best lessons we learn about following Jesus come from you showing us how not to follow Jesus. Thank you also for sticking with it when you could have given up. Thank you for persevering through the problems and the pain. Thank you for living to love another day. Your less-than-sterling example gives us hope. 

God can take people who mess up like you and me and do his wonderful work through us in spite of us. That’s how good God is. 

Our best weapons for the cause of Christ are knees calloused by kneeling in prayer, tears that flow over the lostness of family, friends, and others who are far from God, and faithful witness as we become Good News. (Thank you, Jessie Cruikshank, for that wonderful book title and its contents, Becoming Good News.)

Everyone who doesn’t know Jesus needs to see a smiling Saint Peter rather than a glowering Peter with a pathetic little sword. They need to see that from you and me as well. I’m pretty sure Dale Carnegie would agree that it’s easier to win friends and influence people with a smile than a sword. I wonder if Dale and Peter talked about that when Mr. Carnegie arrived at the pearly gates?

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I will spend the rest of my life in a wholehearted effort to be good news to everyone I meet. 

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Our Father, forgive us for thinking you need defending. Forgive us for thinking you hate everyone we hate. Forgive us for not loving everyone you love and understanding that this includes everyone. Empower us to overcome our hang-ups about other people. Empower us to love them as you do and to seek their highest good in all things. Pour out your Holy Spirit on all people. Draw all people to yourself that they may know you and experience you in a deep and abiding relationship. Use us in whatever manner you see fit to express your grace and kindness, your love and compassion. Amen.