Bishop Festo Kivengere founded African Team Ministries in 1984, and wrote columns for its Newsletters, and also for those of African Enterprise. With the permission of Keith Jesson, ATM's president, I present this column from November 1979 (Vol. XVI, No. 11).
.
“Peter in Gethsemane used the human method of retaliation. He did it faithfully, out of anguish, because he loved the Master and saw injustice.
.
“He saw rough men grabbing the beautiful hands of Jesus, about to tie them up with evil intent and it was too much for Peter. He took his sword and used it, cutting off the ear of the ruffian nearest him.
.
“The Master turned to Peter and said gently and firmly, ‘Please, Peter, put it away. It is very weak. It can cut the ear but it has no ability to heal it. He who uses the sword dies by it, Peter. I am going to use a different method.’
.
“Then Love put back the ear and healed it right there (Luke 22:51). That may have been the deepest miracle, for it took place under circumstances beyond human comprehension. It was utterly incredible. You would have expected that after healing the ear He would have been released, but no, His hands were tied, He was taken and lead away like a sheep to the slaughter.
.
“All along Peter had been having trouble in learning where true strength lies. You remember that every time the Master pointed it out, Peter rejected it!
.
“‘Never! It cannot be that, Master. The cross is not the way! Suffering is not for the Messiah!’
.
“It is no wonder that after Jesus’ arrest, Peter fell apart and denied the Master. It was not because he did not love Him,
it was simply another confession of weakness. He had yet to learn where healing strength lies.
.
“First came the discovery that as he was denying, the Master was loving. As Peter was cursing, the Master was caring. Jesus loved deeper and deeper until the love of the Saviour penetrated Peter’s heart.
.
“On Mount Calvary, the Peter who had denied out of fear stood and watched the cross, through tears. The cross penetrated every part of this man, releasing him from fear, anger and retaliation. Peter no longer felt like using the other method. He saw the power of love to heal.
.
“Listen to Peter’s words: ‘While being reviled, He did not revile in return. While suffering, He did not say anything, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously. He Himself took our sins in His own body on the cross that we might die to these sins and live for righteousness, for by His wounds you have been healed’ (1 Peter 2:23,24).
.
“Since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example to follow in His steps― beloved brethren, are you following in His footprints?
.
“Every print of that foot speaks of healing for humanity, forgiving the sinner, giving love to a miserable community. He is still bleeding for your city because burdens are crushing people, homes are breaking, people commit suicide. His wounded hand is strong to heal them through you.”
Comments