May 7, 2019
Most weekdays I spend my first few waking hours in front of the computer teaching kids on the other side of the world how to speak English. I try my best to not allow my southern drawl to interfere, but I can’t help but smile when those sweet little Chinese voices use more than one syllable to pronounce the word “ball.”
One thing that I’ve learned is that kids are kids whether they live in my house or a high rise in Beijing. Made-up excuses and stalling techniques are world-wide talents.
In a recent class, a bright but uninterested student leaned out of the camera’s view and pretended to not see me. A banner began scrolling across the top of the computer screen indicating he had called for help from the company.
“I can’t see the teacher. I can’t see the teacher. I can’t see the teacher.”
He simply didn’t want to see me. And even though I couldn’t see him, I knew that he was still there.
While he was clever, he wasn’t overly persistent. He popped back into view after I showed him a cool toy car.
Wouldn’t it be convenient in life when facing the monotonous or difficult things if we could just lean out of view and pick an appropriate banner to scroll in our place?
“I don’t want to wake up. I don’t want to wake up. I don’t want to wake up.”
“Stop hitting your brother. Stop hitting your brother. Stop hitting your brother.”
“The kitchen is closed. The kitchen is closed. The kitchen is closed.”
“I can’t have that conversation. I can’t have that conversation. I can’t have that conversation.”
“I don’t see You, Lord. I don’t see You, Lord. I don’t see You, Lord.”
A while back, I went through a study on the book of I Peter. Peter wrote the book as a means of encouragement to believers who were suffering. They weren’t suffering through a challenging online class or a parenting hurdle or a minor inconvenience.
They were suffering.
Torture, imprisonment, death because of their faith. A verse that I kept returning to was I Peter 1: 8 in which he encourages, “You love Him even though you have never seen Him.”
The words encourage us today. Keep the faith even though our physical eyes don’t see Him. But we know He’s there. The Bible reminds us. The Spirit comforts us. Our lives prove it.
Imagine Peter as he penned these words. Persistent in his encouragement and love for fellow believers. Certainly heart-heavy for their plight. But amazed that they kept on keeping on without laying eyes on their Savior. Perhaps stopping to close his own eyes and remember. Remembering the face of Jesus.
Peter, one who had seen Jesus. He had walked with Him. Learned from Him. Watched the miracles. And then denied it all. Denied Him.
“I don’t know the Man. I don’t know the Man. I don’t know the Man.”
Momentarily removing his eyes from Jesus and looking to the world for escape and acceptance.
I’m guilty. Maybe not in the same manner and words of denial, but the same attitude of “I just want to fit in.” I don’t want to suffer or be called out for my beliefs. Don’t ask me to speak up or out attitude. Let me hang on to my selfish pride attitude.
But Peter’s story doesn’t end with the denial of His Savior. There is forgiveness and restoration. I love the redemptive quality of I Corinthians 15: 5, a verse that describes events after Christ’s resurrection: “He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve.”
Jesus saw him. Forgave him. Redeemed him.
Jesus had seen Peter and all that he had done and didn’t look away. And He doesn’t look away from us either. In our pride. In our selfishness. In the times we look to everything and everybody else except Him.
And He doesn’t push some button to defer for help.
He became the Help, the Rescuer, the Redeemer.
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in His wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.”
Helen Lemmel