Someone’s talking about you!

by Kathy Benedetto

It was a normal Monday morning with sunshine and a pleasant breeze. Dave, my husband, and I are out in front of our house located towards the end of a cul-de-sac which empties into a 4-acre park. Kitty, our cat, wanders among the plants and yard art of our neighbors. I’m distracted. One eye on Kitty, and one on texting.

Two coyotes, playful pups, have found their way into the park and fixed their gaze on Kitty. Dave steps back into the shade, motionless, observing with quick focused eyes the challenge. Kitty, agitated, sprints to a tree but heavy from spoiling keeps sliding down and desperately trying to reascend.

The coyotes, working in tandem, advance to the park’s edge then separate. Dave’s muscles are taut and ready for action. One pup falls back to circle around Kitty while the other comes at her with a full-on chase. Kitty knew not to run, but her ascending the tree had proved fruitless. Dave aggressively charged towards the first coyote. The animal was so surprised he backed down and retreated. Dave turned towards the other coyote, and he cowered. They retreated to regroup. Dave walked over to Kitty, who finally somewhat ascended, and picked her out of the tree she was clinging to and delivered her home safely. The coyotes’ ears pointed, grinning their teeth and resting on hind legs sat never taking their sharp, dark eyes off of Dave and Kitty. Meanwhile, I’m still cluelessly texting and reading Dave the comments. A little annoyed he is not answering me. Finally, I look up and see Dave and Kitty gone. Our neighbor from across the alley drove up and anxiously shouts the alarm, “Coyotes in the park.”

“What?”

Finally, Dave emerged and confirmed the story that I had missed. The reality of a very present danger. For a few brief minutes the coyotes felt permission to attack Kitty, but soon found out she was protected by a higher power. Dave, taking on the Clint Eastwood persona of Dirty Harry and his famous line of “make my day” Coyote. Not my Kitty.

As I was oblivious to the danger forming, so was the Apostle Peter at the Last Supper to the reality of a struggle taking place. Peter was clueless when it came to understanding the plan for harm being formed against him.

… After dinner, Jesus, [addressing his disciples], said, “This very night you will all fall away.” Peter replies, “Even if all fall away, I never will.” Then Jesus says that famous line that must have just ripped Peter’s heart out. “Truly I tell you this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” But adding words of comfort. “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. ³²But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers…”

Satan had asked to sift Peter and all the disciples as wheat. To Sift as wheat is a metaphor that can be expressed as to “shake someone apart” or “break a person down.”

God acknowledged the dilemma created by evil far more than humans ever did. He knew we needed a Savior, a Champion, who could defeat sin and grab us out of the slippery hiding place of a tree and deliver us.

Our sins created a mortal danger that held our souls captive. An impassable abyss; but Easter, the resurrection of Jesus, bridged the gap. Now grace prevails. It was because Dave has a relationship with Kitty that he intervenes on her behalf and because of God’s great love for us that He charged against sin and delivered us.

Easter is a celebration of God’s rescue agenda of the cross. A tree of life not death. It is a window into the higher-level thinking of God and His plan of mercy. Just as Peter thought I will never deny you, Lord, or Kitty thought a tree would save her, so were we delusional in our imaginative thinking that “being good enough” was all that was needed.

Jesus didn’t pray for Peter to not reject Him. That wasn’t the problem. He prayed for Peter to find forgiveness and grace and later encourage his brothers. God’s plan of pardon has such different priorities than our own.

Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? He who freely gives us His Son also freely gives us all things. It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? … No one…Christ Jesus who died …is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. (Romans 8:32-34)

What then was the intent of Jesus’ prayer? To not have Peter fail? Or was it a prayer that after his denial and that anguished, dark night of his soul, Peter would find a deeper understanding of the hope of forgiveness. Jesus’ prayer was answered.

What happens then when Jesus talks about you to God the Father? The most complete answer is Easter. A resurrection, a forgiveness, and the very grace of God.

Happy Easter

from Kathy and Dave Benedetto, storyteller and editor

The Kitty Chronicle staff who chronically love kitties.