SECOND CHANCES
Matthew 16:17-19
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
A friend of mine had a buck that he had watched for a few years, and he developed an obsession for the buck. He hunted day after day, hoping for just one opportunity at the buck. After 2 years of pursuing, his chance finally came one cold November morning. Everything fell in place and he was able to draw his bow unnoticed. What should have been an easy “chip shot” turned into his worse nightmare. The arrow that he thought would bring the buck down instead when right over the buck’s back.
My buddy went into a depression and almost quit hunting for the year. But, a week later he was back at it on the same property where he had missed the shot. The very first time back in the tree the same buck came back in and Jim made a great shot and the buck of his dreams (and nightmares) was his. He made good on his second chance.
Second chances don’t always come around, but when they do, it is a sweet experience.
Michael Jordan was arguably the best basketball player that has ever played the game. He wasn't a childhood protégé as some like Tiger Woods or others. He struggled as a young boy to make the team. There were times he must have thought that he should just give up. Yet, deep down inside, he knew he was going to do something with the basketball. If Jordan had quit after his early failures we all would have missed out on a lot of great basketball.
Jordan was quoted after his retirement saying, “in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
At Good Friday and Easter most years we hear of someone else that struggled early in life that became great. Jesus's disciple, Peter, was an impulsive, quick tempered young man that had told Jesus he would never turn his back on Him. Yet within a day or two he not only denied Christ once but three times.
After completely turning his back on His Savior, Jesus still gave Peter a second chance. Peter went on to be the "Rock" on which Jesus's church was built after all.
Jesus knew that Peter would fail, but He called Him a "Rock" before he was mature or stable.
Jesus leads us by what He knows is in us. He doesn't look at our failures but at our potential. The Israelites, Gods own people, were brought back from disaster and denial of the God over and over again. God was extremely patient with them. They had many “second chances". They turned their back on Him many times and He gave then chance after chance. God’s grace and love is so strong that we can never outrun it.
If you've failed or stumbled, get back up and reach your potential. You've got a second chance.
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