"When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen, they said, "Lord, should we strike with our swords?" And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.
But Jesus answered, "No more of this!" And he touched the man's ear and healed him. " (Luke 22: 49-51)
The scripture tells us that it was Peter who did this action... But what made me wonder is this:
He asked Jesus first if he should do this action or not. But then he did the action he thought of and did not wait for Jesus's answer on the question he just asked!!!
Why did he do this??
He thought he could help, had this eagerness deep inside to strike with the sword. But should he carry out what he just thought of? no.. 3 years of discipleship with Jesus taught him that following his own mind could be misleading. So, he thought "no.. I should take Jesus's permission, I will ask him"..
What made you carry out the plan you had without knowing if this is really what Jesus wanted?!!
1- Maybe you, like most of us, wanted to carry out what your mind thought off, regardless of outcomes.
2- Maybe you felt that the situation is so urgent and critical, and there is no time to wait for God's answer. You have to step in and save the day!! A thought we so many times have: "I need to act quickly.. I have no patiance to wait and wait for Jesus to answer".
Most of us do just the same as you Peter. We ask him for guidance whether to do this or not, whether to carry out that plan or not.. And, just like you did, we end up carrying out our own plans unwaiting for the answer back.
You might think that: "well, what's the big deal!! Jesus stepped in and saved the situation, and fixed the mistake that Peter irrationally caused!
This is partially true, but read this:
"One of the high priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, "Didn't I see you with him in the olive grove?" Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow." (John 18: 26-27)
The unguided action that Peter did had its annoying concequences. If he did not do that in the Olive grove, he would not have been obviously recognised by the crowd. This action he did built up enemies for Peter, and put him in a difficult temptation later on.
I can now see the obvious link in the verse that Jesus told the disciples just few minutes before Peter did this action in Gethsemane. Jesus was telling them: "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation" (Mathew 26:41).
Peter did not do this, and the actions he did unguided by prayers (i.e: God's guidance) caused him to fall into temtations!!
My Dear Lord,
How sweet you are.... drawing our attention to mistakes we're gonna fall in, and fixing the consequences and forgiving the tempted...
Help me not to think my own way, to carry out my own plans, to rush without hearing your will..
Help me wait for your answers in times when I feel I should urgently act!
Help me to be obediant, when your will is different than mine.. and your thoughts are opposite to mine.
Help me in order not to fall into temptation..
Ameen
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