Creekside Church Sermon of March 16, 2008 "Testing Time" Matthew 26:69-75	Rev. David Bibbee
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That would be a natural assumption because we like stories with happy endings. All good stories have an element of tension in them. We don't know how things will turn out, but we trust that in the end the good guy will catch the bad guy, the wicked stepmother will be shown the door, wrongs will be righted, the truth will be told, and justice will prevail. We're assured that when things are bad, they have to get better and some day, everything will work out for the good.

We know that not all endings will be happy, but it doesn't keep use from hoping that maybe, just maybe, the familiar, sad story of Holy week will come to a different conclusion.

No matter how many times we've heard it, something in us wishes for a different ending. How wonderful it would be to see Jesus walking with his left arm over Peter's shoulders and his right arm resting over Judas'. Beside Peter is the high priest Ca'iaphas, and next to Judas, Pontius Pilate. All four have repented for their actions. All have received Jesus' pardon and together, they stroll into the sunset the best of friends.

But Palm Sunday will not go along with our desire for a happy ending. As Jesus popularity grew, so did the ranks of his enemies occupying the seats of religious and political power. The waving palms and the hosanna chorus was grand, but short-lived. When the waving stoped, the story began to unravel.

Let's fast-forward four days. In the upper room, Jesus has finished the Passover observance with the disciples. It is their last meal together. Afterwards, as Jesus prays in the garden of Gethsemane, the authorities come and seize him. Jesus is taken to the palace to be tried before Pilate and Ca'iaphus.

The disciples have scurried for cover, except one. Peter follows Jesus -- at a safe distance. While Jesus is interrogated upstairs, Peter is in the palace courtyard warming himself by the fire, unaware that his test is about to begin.

Peter's examiner is a servant girl. We pay little attention to her. She's a "bit" player who appears out of nowhere and disappears just as fast. We don't know her name. We only know she was a lowly maid -- probably very young. She had no power or status. Her job was to fix and fetch and follow the orders of her masters.

Peter was the disciple Jesus nicknamed, "the rock." Jesus promised him the keys to the kingdom. He said the church would one day be built upon "this rock of a man." In the upper room Jesus predicted that his flock would flee. "The others may run for their lives, Jesus, but not me!" Peter replied. "You can count on me to stick by your side -- no matter what. I would rather die than deny you."

Peter is strong, resolute, loyal. In contrast, the servant girl is little, overlooked, a nobody. In the reflection of the fire she sees Peter's face. "You were with the Galilean," she said. It wasn't accusatory. She wasn't going to tattle. She simply made an observation. "You were with Jesus." Peter answered. "I don't know what you're talking about." Before other bystanders, another maid said to Peter, "You look familiar. Where have I seen you before? Oh… now I know. You were with that Jesus fellow from Nazareth." Peter replied, "Look, lady. I don't the man." Moments later they said to Peter, "You are one of them, all right. You've got an accent." This time Peter let the expletives fly -- "Read my lips! I don't know who you're talking about!"

Three years with Jesus, and Peter reduced him to, "the man." In the distance a rooster crowed, and Peter bawled like a baby. Game, set, match.

Teachers are known by the kind of pupils they produce. Jesus spent three years teaching the disciples, and this was the best he could do? Peter was Jesus' star pupil! It was a test -- the most important Peter had taken, and he got a big, fat F. All of the time and trust and confidence Jesus put in Peter went up in smoke.

In seventh grade, I had a music teacher named Mrs. Swick. Just the thought of her ties my stomach in knots to this day. She was a short, stocky woman whose face would have cracked if she ever smiled. She acted more like Mr. Beers, the industrial arts teacher than a music teacher. Mrs. Swick's teaching method wasn't "old school" It was "cruel school." For the final test, everyone had to sing a solo. We had to stand in front of the class with Mrs. Swick at our side tooting a pitch pipe.

Do you remember how nasty your peers were at that age? They snickered as you sang, until it was their turn to sweat. I was so nervous I nearly passed out. It was humiliating to stand in front and show what a lousy singer I was. It's a wonder I can sing hymns today because I swore I wasn't going to sing for the rest of my life.

Christianity is not a private affair. It's a test. It isn't confined to the sanctuary and Sunday school classroom. It is not about what you believe. It is about public profession and practice.

Peter said the right things. He was first to see declare that Jesus was the Messiah. He made Jesus a promise. "The others may dessert you, but I will never, ever deny you. He thought he could stand up to "the-powers-that- be." Instead, he wilted before the simple inquiry of a servant girl.

Jesus passed his test, but not without pain, blood loss and being nailed naked to a cross for the world to see. In comparison, Peter had it easy. All he had to say was, "Yes, I know Jesus. Yes, I was with him." Instead, Peter pretended not to know him.

When you leave the building this morning, your test begins. You won't be tested like Jesus. Not by a long shot. You will run into servant girls and boys asking questions.

Ted Noffsinger is teaching math for the remainder of the year at LaVille High School. Being new to the school, students tried to find out what they can get away with in Mr. Noffsinger's class. Ted is being tested. "How far can we push him? Will he do what he says he going to do if we cross the line?" But Ted has been tested in another way. A girl stayed after class and asked, "Mr. Noffsinger, are you a Christian?"

It is not hard to answer. You either say yes or no. Say yes, and there will be follow-up questions. "Since you are a Christian, what difference has it made in your life? If it was taken away, would you be the same person?" Christians should live their lives is such a way that it causes people to ask questions -- important, ultimate questions.

On Wednesday Laurie and Lisa were dining at Beef-O-Brady's over on County Road 17. They didn't know it was testing time. As they talked, a man stood by their table and said to Laurie, "That's a beautiful cross you're wearing." It was one of the "nail crosses" we gave out during Lent last year. Laurie could have said, "Thank you," or "Glad you like it." Instead she did something, which by her own admission was out of character for her. She said to him, "If you want it you can have it." Following an exchange of, "No I couldn't" and "Yes you can," Laurie took it off and put it around his neck.

He said he would only take it under one condition. "Tell me where you go to church and how to get there." As they left minutes later he made a request of Laurie and Lisa. "Pray for me."

You may remember a story I told once before from Isak Dinesen's book, Out of Africa. The author tells the story of a young Kikuyu boy who showed up at her door and asked to work for her. She agreed, and the boy named Kitau turned out to be an excellent servant. Three months later he asked Dinesen to write a letter of recommendation to work for a Muslim Sheik in another city. She didn't want him to leave, and offered him more money, but he said it was important that he go.

He said he had a decision to make. "I will become either a Christian or a Muslim." His reason for coming to work for her was to see the ways of a Christians up close. He was going to work three months for Sheik Ali to see how Muslims behaved. Then he would make his decision. Dinesen wrote:

"I believe that even an Archbishop, when he had these facts laid before him, would have said, or at least thought, as I said, 'Good God Kitau, you might have told me that when you came here.'"

We aren't told ahead of time when or how we will be tested. Each day we face the possibility of "pop" quizzes.

Jesus is not judged solely on the witness of his life. His record speaks for itself. Jesus put himself in a precarious position. Ever since Peter denied him, the acceptance or rejection of the Savior has been judged by our performance. Mahatma Gandhi almost became a Christian. He was ready and receptive, until he wasn't allowed to worship in a South African church because of the color of his skin. Christianity flunked the test.

It took a while for me to learn that tests are not designed to make us fail. Tests exercise parts of us that have grown "flabby." Tests make us familiar with the subject matter. Testing makes us competent and capable. The servant girl exposed Peter's weakness. She showed him the person he was. But please remember that Peter didn't remain a failure. After the resurrection he became the rock in charge of the church. His speech was bold and fearless. After his denial, no one could stop Peter from telling the world about Jesus.

Will Willimon said, "Sometimes in the odd workings of God's providence, people outside the faith are used to expose the limits of our fidelity. We're forced to say what we believe. We're shown how out of step we are with the faith we profess."

The servant girl, the school girl who hangs around after class, the stranger at the restaurant, the lady working the checkout counter, the guy sitting at the bar, the man who changes your oil, the chance conversation you have waiting in line, the nurse who takes your blood pressure -- there's no telling how or when God will use these people to test us, and embolden us to take a stand so that when asked, "Are you with Jesus" you will answer, "Yes… yes I am."

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