What Is Your Weakness?

Thomas a Kempis was a German Catholic monk who lived in the time of Renaissance from 1380-1471. His name and work have survived hundreds of years due to his exceptional devotional writings. Both Catholic and Protestant clergy find his famous work, The Imitation of Christ on their bookshelf. It is truly a book that every Christian should read as it is easily regarded as a "Christian Classic" like Pilgrims Progress, Mere Christianity, or The Cost of Discipleship.

Thomas a Kempis wrote, "You will never be an inwardly religious and devout man unless you pass over in silence the short comings of your fellow men, and diligently examine your own weakness." Thomas dealt with the topic of self-examination a fair amount. He realized that we are more prone to focus on the faults of others than to look honestly at our own failures.

In today's reading we find Jesus reclining with His disciples while taking the Passover meal. Chronologically we know that the shocking statement to come from Jesus occurs after He washes His disciple's feet. Jesus disturbs the friendly chatter around the table by saying, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me-one who is eating with me." (Mark 14:18) This comes as the proverbial bombshell to His friends. They are in disbelief, yet they know that their Master is "The Truth" so He cannot tell a lie.

Jesus is the Host of this Passover meal. It is His food and they are His guests. In many countries when you are welcomed to someone's home, food is given as a sign of peace and friendship. Here in the west we offer a drink first and not so much food. Jesus as Host is showing honor to His disciples and once again reminding them of the special friendship they share. In the midst of this incredibly special time Jesus says that one of those present, eating His food, will in turn betray Him.

Each disciple responds with question, "Surly not I?" This was a very powerful time for the disciples, well, minus Judas. Jesus did not just blurt out the name of His betrayer; He gave each man the opportunity to examine his own heart. As William Hendriksen commenting on this passage says, Jesus allowed them to experience "wholesome self-distrust".

We should have a "wholesome distrust" of ourselves. Proverbs 16:18 "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." Pride is our chief sin and it's the launching pad of all others. We therefore must be very careful that we do not become self deceived regarding our own sin nature. We all have the ability to self-destruct just like Judas.

In that brief moment Jesus allowed each disciple to ask the question, "What do I really believe?" Jesus knew that with the cross just around the corner that these men were going to face their greatest test. They needed to wrestle one final time with their personal belief in Him. They needed to examine their hearts, their faith and their motives for following Jesus.

We know that Peter was filled with the inner conviction that he would never turn his back on the Lord. He was confident in his relationship with Jesus and his understanding of himself. Yet, in the darkness of an arrested Jesus he failed to take a stand and swore that he did not know Jesus. If Peter can fail then so can we. Let's be honest, Judas and Peter both failed. One was premeditated and the other was spontaneous, but they both turned from Jesus and walked away.

Judas hung himself in despair, and Peter bolted back to Christ when he realized that forgiveness was being offered to him. I think Peter well understood the words of Thomas a Kempis, "diligently examine your own weaknesses." I am convinced that Peter later asked himself, "How in the world did I do that?" He learned from his mistake.

What are you learning about yourself? We often play mental games and see ourselves as how we want to be, while never dealing with how we really are. Just as Jesus gave His disciples time for self-examination, church history also provides the opportunity for self-examination through the season of Lent.

Most evangelical churches have all but forgotten Lent as well as other wonderful traditions like Advent. Though I do not have time to deal with the history of Lent, let me remind you that it has traditionally been known as a time of fasting, prayer and purification leading up to Resurrection Sunday. Lent starts on Ash Wednesday and concludes the Saturday evening before Resurrection Sunday, which is forty days in duration.

I only learned of Lent as I began to work with other denominations like Lutheran's, Episcopalians, and Presbyterians while on staff with Luis Palau. My Baptist tradition that I came to the Lord in never spoke of it since it was a pre-Reformation tradition that they pretty much threw out. However, it is a wonderful season that we should use to aid us in self-examination with regards to sin. There is a solemnity to Lent if we approach it with the proper understanding.

Someone challenged me at the beginning of Lent this year to give up eating one day a week until Easter for the purpose of self-examination and prayer. At first I began to make excuses as to why I did not care to accept his challenge and then I had a change of heart. I begin to wonder "What do I really give up for the Lord? Could I use this fast to tell the Lord I want to hunger for you like I hunger for food? Could I use this time with stomach growling to be reminded of all those children I have seen staring to death in the world and to pray for them? Could I use this time to say thank you Lord Jesus for dying for my sin?"

I decided to commit to the Lord to fast one day a week during Lent, not because I am holy but because I am not holy enough. May the Lord show me my weaknesses during this time so that I will rejoice even more deeply on Resurrection Sunday knowing that it is His power that keeps me from self-destruction!

In This Season of Lent,

Dan
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