Shooting Our Wounded

I want to open with an illustration. On May 21, 2004, Captain Rogelio Maynulet of the United States Army shot an unnamed Iraqi who was wounded in a chase.(1) What was his reasoning? He reported, “He was in a state that I didn’t think was dignified – I had to put him out of his misery.” He argued that the killing “was the right thing to do; it was the honorable thing to do.”(2) Much of our country, and the people of Iraq, was outraged by this atrocity.

We cringe when we hear of shooting the wounded, but how many times have we seen a brother in Christ who was suffering spiritually, and we said, “He was in a state that I didn’t think was dignified,” and then we shoot him down with our words of judgment and condemnation? We are appalled when we hear news of someone shooting the wounded, but the church does this all too often. We should be just as outraged when we see a brother or sister in Christ being shot down. Thus, I have entitled our message, “Shooting Our Wounded,” and I would like to begin by having us look at the account of a believer who had fallen and was deeply wounded, as we look at John 18:12-27.

Peter’s Denial of Christ (John 18:12-17, 25-27)

12 Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him. 13 And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year. 14 Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.

15 And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. 16 But Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in. 17 Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not” . . .

25 Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not!” 26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” 27 Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.

I am sure you are familiar with this account. This is Peter’s denial of Christ. Back in John 13:37-38, we read, “Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times’.” And back in Matthew 26:33-35, we read, “Peter answered and said to Him, ‘Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’ Peter said to Him, ‘Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You’.”

Peter told the Holy One of God, God’s one and only Son, that he would never deny Him. He made a promise; he gave his word that he would never deny Jesus; and we see that he denied Him three times before morning dawned. Not only did he break his promise, but he committed the sin of denying Christ – the very sin that keeps people from entering the kingdom of heaven. This sounds appalling!

So, if it were up to us, how would we have treated Peter after this incident? How do we usually treat other Christians when they fall into sin and deny their Savior? In many churches, people will excommunicate the offender. They will stop speaking to them, lay into them with harsh accusations, or perhaps begin talking about them behind their back. But is this how Jesus would have handled the situation? No!

In John 21:15-17, we see that Jesus reminded Peter of how he had denied Him three times, whenever He asked Peter on three separate occasions if he really loved Him. Even though Jesus reminded Peter of his denial, we see that after Peter confessed his love for Jesus, that He forgave him, restored him, and then gave him the responsibility of feeding and tending His sheep and lambs.