Are you Judas or Peter?

Judas or Peter?  Which one are you?

All of us have betrayed Jesus and denied Him.  There is no exception.  “All have fallen short of the glory of God,” as it is written in the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans.  It was our sin that nailed Him to the Cross; we would’ve deserted Him for our own survival, if left to ourselves.  We might have joined even in the mockery of Him at His coronation, with the crown of thorns and the torn purple robe.  “Behold the Man,” Pilate said according to the Apostle John’s Gospel account.  We would’ve joined in the sense of shame, not wanting to be associated with Him, the failure, the loser.  In one way or another we all come equally guilty before the Cross, equally in need of a Savior.  It is what we do with that reality that matters.

Do we have worldly sorrow or godly sorrow?  In the Apostle Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian church, he contrasts these two realities.  Godly sorrow leads to repentance that brings life, whereas worldly sorrow leaves only regret that leads to death.

Peter was an example of godly sorrow.  After he denied Jesus, he shed tears, joined with his friends and when Jesus appeared he ran to Him and waited expectantly.  Of course Jesus restored him.  Three times he denied Him.  Three times He restored him.

But Judas went to the place of idiocy, the place of the self, and shed tears, but then beat himself up, punished himself, until he finally killed himself.  That was a worldly sorrow that left only regret and led to death.

Which sorrow do you have when you’ve realized you’ve messed up, that you’ve sinned?

Do you beat yourself up, play the conversation over and over in your head, feel about yourself and then punish yourself in hopes that somehow you can make up for it?

Or do you come to Jesus in prayer and wait expectantly for His forgiveness and live life?  Do you then have a readiness to focus on Him and do what gives life, and even the next time the temptation comes as the opportunity arises?  I hope it’s the latter.  It still can be if it hasn’t been.  May it be so for all of us.