SHAME ON YOU!
The Bible is FULL of “shameful” situations where we (humans) fail over and over and over again, from Adam and Eve, to things like Abraham and Sarah, Moses’s anger issues, (and murder!) David’s adultery, (and murder!) and on and on and on, all they way through to Jesus’ disciples… and beyond!
The first story of shame we have in the Bible is of course, Adam and Eve. After eating the forbidden fruit, they realized they were naked and were ashamed. (If we’re truly honest about our sin, it always makes us feel “naked” (vulnerable) and ashamed before God.) They make a lame attempt to hide their nakedness from each other, (by sewing fig leaves together,) then they make another lame attempt to hide from God, and when He asks them what they’ve done they start a blame game about why they sinned.
In the end, God protects them… not only from the possibility of eating from the Tree of Life and living forever in this now shameful “sinful” state, but He is also the one who adequately covers them.
This is the first actual death in the Bible - perhaps the first “sacrificial lamb” here… God showing love, grace and mercy as He covers the very first sinners with that very first sacrifice.
We see this pattern time and time and time again throughout the Bible. Over and over and over again, we read how God protects and loves and shows grace and mercy to shameful humans who have done shameful things. But, for now, lets jump all the way to the New Testament, and look at two of the most famous stories of shame we see there. First, let’s remember Peter’s shame.
Early in the evening (just after the “last supper”) Jesus makes the announcement that ALL His disciples would abandon Him. Peter jumps up and adamantly assures Jesus that he would NEVER do such a thing, to which Jesus calmly responds that yes, Peter WILL deny Him - 3 times in fact, this very night, before the rooster crows…
A short while later, in defense of Jesus, Peter cuts off the ear of the servant of the High Priest in the garden, for which he is sharply rebuked by Jesus. It quickly becomes clear that this is not going to end well for any of them, so all of Jesus’ disciples, including Peter, run for their lives, afraid that they too will be arrested with Jesus.
Peter however, follows Jesus at a distance, and hangs out in the courtyard where he can kind of eavesdrop and keep tabs on what’s happening to Him. It is here that Peter is confronted and accused of being one of Jesus’ followers, which he intensely denies. The 3rd time he is questioned, he becomes absolutely furious, starts calling down curses on himself, and again, denies it vehemently.
And then… a rooster crows.
Can you imagine that??? My heart jumps into my throat every time I read this passage.
Peter must have frozen when he heard that rooster…. his heart jumping into his throat as well, as he suddenly remembers Jesus’ words from just a few short hours before. Time stands still as he turns towards where Jesus is being interrogated…
… and Jesus turns and looks directly at him.
Oh.
My.
Goodness.
This nearly destroys Peter, and he runs out of the courtyard weeping bitterly.
I imagine the next few days were excruciating for Peter, as I’ve experienced first hand shame’s relentless torment, and how it will cruelly abuse us for as long as it possibly can.
Finally, Peter decides he’s going fishing - back to something familiar. The other disciples go as well, (remember, they ALL abandoned Jesus in the garden, just as He predicted, so they’re all fighting their own shame,) but it turns out to be another long, cold night of failure, and they catch nothing.
Suddenly, at dawn, a familiar Voice from the shore calls out to them… just to see how they’re doing. Upon hearing they’ve caught nothing all night, the Voice directs them to throw their nets on the right side of the boat, (that sounds VERY familiar!) and when they do so, they catch so many fish they’re unable to haul in the nets! Yes! They’ve experienced this before, and John says to Peter, “It is the Lord!”
That is all the confirmation Peter seems to need! He immediately dives off the boat and swims to shore, desperate for that familiar Voice standing on the beach to silence the vicious voice of shame in his head.
When Peter, drenched to the bone and bone weary from the battle, climbs out of the water and stumbles through the sand to Jesus, he is shown love, grace, and mercy.
And he’s fed a nice hot breakfast!
Now, on to Judas.
While we obviously don’t know exactly WHY Judas chose to betray Jesus, (some believe it was an attempt to force His hand and pressure Him into becoming their “King”?) what’s important is not only that he DID betray Him, but maybe more importantly, what Judas did (and did not do) afterwards…
From what we read in scripture, Judas’ kiss in the garden was the last time he interacted with Jesus, with Jesus’ last words to him being, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” and “Do what you came for, friend."
Perhaps this actually pierces Judas’ heart… perhaps this causes Judas to begin to feel the depth of what he’s done. He later learns that Jesus is condemned to die, and in a desperate attempt to undo his dirty deed, he tries to return the payment he received from the Pharisees back to them. They, of course, are completely unsympathetic towards him, and refuse to take the money back. So, he throws the silver coins into the temple, runs off…
…and hangs himself.
Judas never returned to Jesus.
Let us always remember WHY Jesus came. To FINISH what was started by Adam and Eve in the garden. (And perpetuated by each and every one of us.) He came to show love, grace, and mercy to anyone who would come to Him. To anyone who would return to Him. It is only His voice that can silence the ruthless voice of shame that echoes relentlessly in our hearts and minds.
Hear this truth my friend… what Jesus did is FAR greater than anything you’ve ever done.
Therefore, when you come to Him, He covers you, just like God did with the first sacrifice in the garden. Jesus was the final, the ultimate sacrifice, and through that sacrifice, He covers you with His goodness. You are clothed with His righteousness.
He showers you with His love.
With His grace.
With His mercy.
And in that shower, all your “bad” is washed away by all His “good”… Jesus washes you completely clean.
So, now there is NO MORE shame on you!
In Jesus’ name!
Amen!
SCRIPTURES
Genesis 3 ~ Adam & Eve’s shame
Genesis 16 ~ Abraham & Sarah’s shame
Numbers 20:11 ~ Then Moses raised his hand [in anger] and with his rod he struck the rock twice [instead of speaking to the rock as the Lord had commanded]. And the water poured out abundantly, and the congregation and their livestock drank [fresh water]. (AMP)
Exodus 2:11-12 ~ One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. (ESV)
2 Samuel 11:1-13 ~ David’s adultery
2 Samuel 11:14-17 ~ David murders Uriah
Matthew 26:31-35 ~ Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same. (ESV)
John 18:10-11 ~ Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest’s slave. But Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?” (NLT)
Mark 14:50 ~ Then all his disciples deserted him and ran away. (NLT)
Luke 22:60-62 ~ Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly. (NIV)
John 21 ~ Peter goes fishing & gets breakfast
Luke 22:48 ~ But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” (NKJV)
Matthew 26:48-50 ~ Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him. Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.” (NIV)
Matthew 27:3-5 ~ Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? You shall see to it yourself!” And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and left; and he went away and hanged himself. (NASB)
John 19:30 ~ When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (ESV)
Isaiah 61:10 ~ I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Hebrews 10:10-12 ~ Our sins are washed away and we are made clean because Christ gave His own body as a gift to God. He did this once for all time. All Jewish religious leaders stand every day killing animals and giving gifts on the altar. They give the same gifts over and over again. These gifts cannot take away sins. But Christ gave Himself once for sins and that is good forever. After that He sat down at the right side of God. (NLV)