THE DEVIL'S DETOUR

“Then He came and found them sleeping. ‘Simon, are you sleeping?’  He asked Peter. ‘Couldn’t you stay awake one hour?  Stay awake and pray so that you won’t enter into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’”  (Mark 14:37-38 HCSB)

There is a reason why caution signs are placed on the highway.  We ignore them at our own peril. Scripture is filled with such cautions.  Its pages are strewn with the human wreckage of those who disobeyed God.  For example, in our Scripture passage for today, we find Peter’s sidetrack into sin standing as a warning sign for us, not to turn onto the Devil’s detour.  

How does it happen? 

The turn off the path of righteousness begins with SELF-RELIANCE.

Let’s go back to the preceding verses for the context:

“Then Jesus said to them, ‘All of you will run away, because it is written:

I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.

But after I have been resurrected, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.’

Peter told Him, ‘Even if everyone runs away, I will certainly not!’

‘I assure you,’ Jesus said to him, ‘today, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times!’

But he kept insisting, ‘If I have to die with You, I will never deny You!’  And they all said the same thing.” (v.27-31) 

Have you ever heard of some Christian’s scandalous sin, and said, “How could they do that?  Why I would never…” and so we boast.

Be careful!  The very self-reliance expressed in those words is a turn signal for the Devil’s Detour!  That’s what Peter does here.  He argues with Jesus. 

Now, you may be a pretty smart person, but you don’t know what God knows.  You don’t even know yourself as He knows you.  Scripture warns that, “The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable — who can understand it?” (Jer.17:9).

It is shocking sometimes to discover what lurks inside us—that even in the best of us, there remains the worst about us.  Noah rescues his family by building an ark and then winds up drunk and naked in his tent.  Moses gets Israel out of Egypt but because of his sin can’t get them into Canaan.  David can bring down a giant with a slingshot but can’t overcome his lust for a woman.  Peter could confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and turn around and deny him days later. 

There is nothing wrong with resolution to stand, but reliance on self is another matter entirely.  What we must say is, “God by Your grace I never intend to…” and cast ourselves upon His power.  Otherwise, we are headed for a fall.  “Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.” (Prov.16:18).

So, Peter heads down the highway of life and Jesus posts a warning that the Devil’s Detour is ahead.  He must not succumb to self-reliance.  But, he fails to heed the warning.

Next comes SLUMBER.

“Then they came to a place named Gethsemane, and He told His disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’  He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be deeply distressed and horrified.  Then He said to them, ‘My soul is swallowed up in sorrow — to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake.’  Then He went a little farther, fell to the ground, and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.  And He said, ‘Abba, Father!  All things are possible for You. Take this away from Me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.’  Then He came and found them sleeping. ‘Simon, are you sleeping?’ He asked Peter. ‘Couldn’t you stay awake one hour?  Stay awake and pray so that you won’t enter into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’  Once again He went away and prayed, saying the same thing. And He came again and found them sleeping, because they could not keep their eyes open.  They did not know what to say to Him.  Then He came a third time and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The time has come. Look, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.’” (v.32-41) 

Have you ever dozed off while driving?  It’s a dangerous thing—potentially a deadly thing! 

I recall a couple of instances when I did.  Once I woke up with a car turning right in front of me.  There was a car oncoming, so he had to stop.  I was too close when I woke up to stop, and thankfully was able to jerk the wheel and go off into the grass on the side of the road, right around him!  Another time, I went to sleep at the wheel and took a side trip through a parking lot just missing some gas pumps at the convenience store when I awakened.  I wonder if an angel shook me just in time! 

Peter literally went to sleep when he should have been praying.  His eyes were closed when he ought to have been watching.  But, there is a deeper, spiritual meaning as well.  He was asleep at the wheel and was headed off the right road and onto the Devil’s Detour! 

We need our rest—God has worked it into the cycle of days and night and into the week by establishing the Sabbath.  But, there are times when we need to be on guard; times that call for extraordinary prayer. 

You can stay up late, watching news and scores, and then sleep in the next morning—getting up in time to get ready and head out the door, grabbing a doughnut and coffee as you hit the road—and let me tell you where you’re headed—onto the Devil’s Detour. 

Here’s why—you were more concerned about entertainment, current events and sports than you were with rising to meet God in His Word and prayer!  Eventually, the devil will seize the opportunity to pounce on you like the mob that woke Peter up that night. 

Peter ignored the warning sign, and he went to sleep at the wheel.  He is now on the Devil’s Detour.  This leads to STRIVING.

“‘Get up; let’s go!  See — My betrayer is near.’  While He was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, suddenly arrived. With him was a mob, with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders.  His betrayer had given them a signal.  ‘The One I kiss,’ he said, ‘He’s the One; arrest Him and take Him away under guard.’  So when he came, he went right up to Him and said, ‘Rabbi!’ — and kissed Him.  Then they took hold of Him and arrested Him.  And one of those who stood by drew his sword, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his ear.  But Jesus said to them, ‘Have you come out with swords and clubs, as though I were a criminal, to capture Me?  Every day I was among you, teaching in the temple complex, and you didn’t arrest Me.  But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.’  Then they all deserted Him and ran away.  Now a certain young man, having a linen cloth wrapped around his naked body, was following Him. They caught hold of him, but he left the linen cloth behind and ran away naked.” (v.42-52) 

Peter was a man—a self-reliant man—and what does such a fellow do when he ends up on the wrong road?  Does he stop and ask for directions?  No!  He tries to figure it out, grip the wheel more firmly and put the pedal to the metal.  But, that’s how you get really lost and Peter reacted much the same way. 

He’s awake now. The adrenalin is pumping.  He whips out a sword, sensing danger, and begins to fight.  Do you think he meant to cut that old boy’s ear off?  No—he was aiming for his neck and missed! 

Instead of humbling himself and crying out to the Lord, he takes matters into his own hands.  Rather than leaning by faith on the Lord’s Word, he looks to the flesh to keep his own word. 

How much like his forefather, Jacob, he was.  Jacob was ever the schemer.  He never wanted to ask directions.  He could work it out.  He wound up on a lot of detours!

It was a dark night much like the one we read about here when a man seized Jacob.  It was God appearing as the Angel of the LORD, intent on breaking Jacob’s self-reliance.  What did Jacob do?  He instinctively fought back—and continued striving until God put his hip out of joint.  How much like Jacob we can be! 

You never get back to the right road until you acknowledge you are on the wrong road.  The way to victory is surrender!  So, Peter has ignored the warning sign, he has gone to sleep at the wheel, and now, waking, he tries to find his way rather than asking for directions.  He is headed for a wreck!

Self-reliance brings slumber and slumber awakens to striving and striving leads to STUMBLING.

“They led Jesus away to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes convened.  Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the high priest’s courtyard.  He was sitting with the temple police, warming himself by the fire.  The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but they could find none.  For many were giving false testimony against Him, but the testimonies did not agree.   Some stood up and were giving false testimony against Him, stating, ‘We heard Him say, “I will demolish this sanctuary made by [human] hands, and in three days I will build another not made by hands.”’  Yet their testimony did not agree even on this. Then the high priest stood up before them all and questioned Jesus, ‘Don’t You have an answer to what these men are testifying against You?’  But He kept silent and did not answer anything.  Again the high priest questioned Him, ‘Are You the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?’  ‘I am,’ said Jesus, ‘and all of you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.’   Then the high priest tore his robes and said, ‘Why do we still need witnesses?  You have heard the blasphemy!  What is your decision? ‘  And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.  Then some began to spit on Him, to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, saying, ‘Prophesy!’  The temple police also took Him and slapped Him.  While Peter was in the courtyard below, one of the high priest’s servants came.  When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, ‘You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus.’  But he denied it: ‘I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about!’  Then he went out to the entryway, and a rooster crowed.  When the servant saw him again she began to tell those standing nearby, ‘This man is one of them!’  But again he denied it.  After a little while those standing there said to Peter again, ‘You certainly are one of them, since you’re also a Galilean!’  Then he started to curse and to swear with an oath, ‘I don’t know this man you’re talking about!’  Immediately a rooster crowed a second time, and Peter remembered when Jesus had spoken the word to him, ‘Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.’”  (v.53-72a) 

Faster and faster, he speeds down the Devil’s Detour—out of control—the brakes have failed!  Peter follows Jesus—but from a distance.  He is riding with the wrong crowd.

The next thing you know, the tires blow, as he denies Jesus three times! 

What a terrible thing to do.  Jesus is on trial for His life and the man who said he would stand for Him, denies he knows Him!  We are on the Devil’s Detour.

It ends in SORROW.

“When he thought about it, he began to weep.” (v.72b) 

How do you get off the wrong road?  You turn around!  That’s repentance!  It is what Peter does here. 

You get back on the road where you went off.  Where did Peter get off? It was in self-reliance.  Where, then, does he get on?  We get back on at the place of confession, dependence, and brokenness—acknowledging sin.  That’s what Peter does.  Scripture promises, “For godly grief produces a repentance not to be regretted and leading to salvation.” (2 Cor.7:10a)

Peter blew it—big time!  But, he didn’t stay where he was.  He turned to the Lord and God would restore him.

Are you looking at turning onto the Devil’s Detour?  Are you speeding past the warning signs?  Or, is it that you have already been sidetracked by Satan?  It may be that you have wrecked like Peter.  You don’t have to stay there.  God will forgive and restore, if you will seek Him with all your heart.  The tracks of tears on our face can be the path that leads us back to God.