There is a very funny scene in the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail where the good guy meets an enemy and has a sword fight. The good guy chops off the arm of his opponent. Then the other arm. Then each leg in turn. Then the armless and legless man wants to keep fighting claiming, “Tis a flesh wound.” This valiant warrior is in deep denial.
Southern California is in deep denial in connect to their water shortage. Now neighbors turn in their neighbors for water use violations. They thought they could beat the desert back with development, but the desert is winning out. And the solutions of the past aren’t working. Siphoning off water from other states’ supplies can’t continue. There is just not enough water. The bucket has a hole in it, and the pump is dry. Drastic changes need to take place. And the sad thing is that they have known about this coming shortage for years and have done little to correct course.
There is a small movement in the church that wants to deny the reality of sickness, poverty and death. They believe that acknowledging the existence of an illness is a lack of faith. And for them, faith is something magical that keeps bad things away. So they walk around limping, but acting as if they are marathon runners or championship ballroom dancers. Everyone around them can see the fairy tale in which they live, but attempts to point out the obvious are soundly denied.
Jesus wants to pull the blinders off the disciples’ eyes. He wants to shine a light in their darken minds. And the light Jesus wants to shine is the reality of their denial. Jesus is going to be killed, no matter what they say or do. And in the process every one of them will turn their backs on Jesus. None will keep their allegiance complete.
And Peter really steps in it. He declares that he is better than all the others. He thinks he is above the others, that his fidelity will be intact. The pride in his statement is catastrophic.
And yet, haven’t we done the same thing at times. We see someone stumble into sin and we declare that we would never fall that far. We point the finger at others, while denying our own frailty and weakness.
It is better to be honest about our weaknesses. Maybe we can’t do it publically, but we need to at least be humble before the LORD and admit our weaknesses. We have entirely too much chest-thumping. We throw the ball in the end zone and forget the previous fumbles, missed handoffs, interceptions and missed plays. The moment in the end zone seems to say that perfection is present.
Pull down your own barriers to honesty.
The Arnold Journey 