They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, "Surely not I, Lord?" Matthew 26:22
As presented on *The Lutheran Hour® by Dr. Oswald Hoffmann, March 13, 1960.
At the Last Supper, Jesus told His disciples, “One of you will betray Me” (Matthew 26:21). Each one asked, “Is it I, Lord?” With one exception, they had not given a single thought to the possibility of betraying their Lord. Yet each one recognized the possibility.
We must always recognize our own willingness to sin. A notable example is to be found in the TV quiz scandals, which occupied public attention in the U.S. only a short time ago. A young man told how he was guaranteed $1,000 for his first appearance on a quiz program, although the audience was given the totally different impression that he would receive only what he won. He said he consented to this arrangement after “intense moral struggle.”
After that, his guarantee was raised to $8,000. Soon publicity and popularity “went to my head,” he told the special sub-committee of the United States House of Representatives. “I was winning more money than I had ever had or ever dreamed of having. I was able to convince myself that I could make up for it after it was over.” Giving in to the second temptation is much easier that yielding to the first.
You may have had the same experience. If a warning had not sounded, if some divinely sent memory or incident had not arisen to head you off, where would you have ended? If you are not sure that you need a Savior, follow the example of the disciples. Look at your own heart, and then look at Christ.
Lord Jesus, pardon what we have done wrong or failed to do right. Thank You for forgiving us. Amen.
Taken from A Message of Hope: Proclaiming the Cross (selections from messages broadcast on *The Lutheran Hour, celebrating 75 years of proclaiming the promise).
Copyright © 2006 by Lutheran Hour Ministries
*The Lutheran Hour is the longest-running Christian radio broadcast in the world. It is a production of Lutheran Hour Ministries. For more information, visit www.lutheranhour.org.
Today's Bible Readings: Numbers 12-14 Mark 14:27-53
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