What The Servant Girl Saw

Matthew 26:69 - 70 Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. "You also were with Jesus of Galilee," she said.  But he denied it before them all. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said.

         The scene in the courtyard during the trial of Jesus must have been interesting.  Peter was waiting, watching, wondering what the outcome would be.  He did so amidst a diverse group of people.  All were trying to keep themselves warm by a fire.  What is of interest in this case is what the servant girl saw before the time in the courtyard. She recognized Peter as one of the disciples. She must have seen Peter with Jesus at least on one other occasion.  And what she saw must have left an impression upon her because she remembered Peter.  What could she have seen that would leave that impression?  Perhaps she was witness to the triumphal entry into Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday.  Perhaps she had been witness to Jesus teaching in the temple courts and his confrontation with the chief priests.  Maybe she had been witness to the lessons where the parables flowed like honey.  We will never really know what she was witness to that left the impression and the memory recalled in the temple courtyard that night.

         We are often in a position where what we do or say can leave an impression on others.  We may not know what we do that leaves an impression.  We may not know when we said something that made an impression on someone.  But our words and actions can speak volumes about who we are and what we are. And in the final analysis, in what we do and say can people see Jesus?   Can they see the blessings poured out upon us so abundantly?  Can they see the freedom from living a life lost in sin paid for on the cross?  Can they hear the words of hope, love, encouragement that are found so plentifully in the Gospel? Or do they see and hear something else?  Friends we each have only one opportunity to make a first impression.  What we do and say as Christians speaks not just for us but speaks also for whom we represent as Christians.  We have that choice, just as Peter did.  Will we make a strong statement for Jesus Christ?  Or will our words & action leave others with the impression that “I don’t know the man”?

Prayer:  Lord we are often blind to the opportunities that pass by us each day of our lives to make an impression. We often are too busy, or too self-absorbed.  Forgive us Lord, and help us to be more aware of the world around us and less into ourselves. Help us to see with Your eyes and to reach out with Your hands. We ask all this in the name of Jesus, Amen.