Day Twelve

Day Twelve. January 21. Galatians 2:11-21

This passage of scripture has two points of particular interest to me. First, of course, is Peter’s people-pleasing temptation. I identify with this more than I wish I did. I like it when people like me. It’s very easy for me to get super quiet if I disagree with folks, and sometimes that leads them to believe I agree with them when I don’t. Now, it’s good to be a peacemaker. Stirring up trouble is not something God wants me to do. However, if I am quiet when something wrong is happening, I can do damage by my silence. Here is an example. What if a friend or neighbor starts mocking another friend of ours when she is not present? Does not my silence tacitly say I at least am enjoying hearing these disparaging words? It takes courage to say, “Susan would not want us to talk of her like that. Let’s believe the best about her.” I’d quite frankly, in my cowardice, rather be quiet. So I want to be gentle with Peter.

I understand the temptation to simply stop eating with Gentile believers when the Judaizers showed up. I mean. Why create waves, right? But think of how those poor new converts felt. All of a sudden, Peter, the leader of the church who had been their friend was ignoring them. It was just plain wrong. And as we learned yesterday, Peter knew better. God had very directly told him not to worry about kosher eating, hadn’t He? Paul had the courage to speak up and stop this two-faced behavior. A bit mortifying for poor Peter, but it doesn’t seem to have ruined their friendship. Peter had learned a lot of humility along the way! We also need to be “teachable” even when it’s embarrassing to be reminded we are not behaving well. Because let’s face it. We all behave poorly from time to time. Sigh. That’s where that awesome grace and forgiveness enters in to the picture.

The second point of interest for me is Galatians 2:20. I memorized this a very long time ago, and it still resonates with me because the words are hard to say and mean: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” This verse has so much in it one could meditate on it for weeks. First of all, have I truly offered my body and my old way of living to Him so it can be crucified and replaced with the new heart and spirit He wishes to give me? We are to die to self. Instead of pleasing ourselves, our new goal is to please the One who loved us and gave Himself for us! When we remember that He also sacrificed Himself on our behalf, it does get easier to let go of our old ways! They never really brought us anything but grief anyways. So when Paul declares this, he is reminding his new converts that we are new creatures once we turn to Jesus. Our lives are irrevocably changed for the better. It’s a great verse to recite. It reminds me of my choice to be His!

My verse: Galatians 2:11 “But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong.”

My response: OH, I hate disagreements! And yet, had Paul not spoken up, brand-new Christian converts would have been made to feel “less than” the others. I love that Paul spoke directly to Peter. No whispering behind his back or slander. Lord, give me courage when I need to speak up, to go directly to the person who is the offender! Help me never to disparage others, Lord, in a way that dishonors the love You have commanded me to show to everyone.