Peter Reminisces

14 May 2015

I was not ready then to die for Him, my Lord,
despite my oaths of allegiance
and declarations of His divinity,
that fateful evening at the garden
when even the olive trees
were bent over with grief
as their Creator agonised
with drops of blood
falling from His brow,
pleading with His Father
that He might be spared, if possible
the cup of sorrows
no man had ever drunk,
yet submitting finally
to His Father’s will;
How we failed Him
three times that evening at Gethsemane
when He told us to watch and pray.

We could never fully understand
why He chose not to use
His might and authority
for we saw how the soldiers
fell in a dead faint
in trying to arrest Him,
but amazingly He went
meek as a sacrificial lamb
to the cross.

Such elemental power he had
that He could make me walk on water
towards Him
until I lost my nerve when I looked
at the turbulence beneath.
But it was His capitulation
and submissiveness

that demoralised us
despite His warning
of His impending death
and resurrection
leaving us fearful and doubtful
– broken men hiding in that Upper Room;
until Mary brought us
earth-shaking news
that, wonder of wonders
He had risen from the dead,
that He had triumphed over Sin and Death
and in His hands were the Keys
of the nether world,
His awesome sacrifice
on that instrument of shame
to redeem all
who would believe in Him
from eternal death and damnation
had imbued the cross
with transforming power
to change sinners into saints
not through their own merit
but by the blood of the Lamb.

He told us that while He was with us
the Paraclete could not come
to dwell within us;
but we only fully understood
what He meant 50 days
after His ascension
when into our midst
there swept a mighty rushing wind
and tongues of fire
sat on each head

and suddenly we were drunk
with an overflow of the Spirit of God
speaking in strange tongues
that others understood.

We were like powerless gloves
until the hand of God
reached within us
and we were filled with the Holy Ghost
and the power of the Almighty
filled every niche of our being.

Now after many years
of walking with the Paraclete
and completing my task on earth
I am ready to die for my Lord,
not crucified like Him
for I am not worthy,
but upside down.

And what unspeakable joy
awaits me
as I long to see His face again
and to speak with Him.
in eternal bliss.

Picture by Flynt/Bigstock.com