Peter swore that he was ready to go to prison or to death for his Lord Jesus. Why then did Jesus say to Peter, “I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me?” Luke 22:33-34 Most of us who love Jesus would say the same words Peter said, and many Christians throughout history have lost their lives for their faith. Is it possible for us to deny Jesus while at the same time vowing our faithfulness to him?

One day in my reading I saw the Luke passage clearly linked up with Matthew 25. Verse 40 says, “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

The Jesus living in me reaches out to the Jesus in the homeless, naked, hungry, imprisoned, thirsty, sick, and the stranger. These destitute people may be believers or they may not be. It doesn’t matter — we meet their needs anyway, because Jesus did. I may speak about these things all I want. I may hope that someone else will do it. But unless I myself actually do the reaching out and helping, my words are empty, and I have denied Jesus.

We need not be afraid for ourselves as Peter was, of what it might cost us financially or socially or physically. When we know we are crucified with Christ, then it is He who lives in us and He who supplies everything we need to do the work the Father asks of us. He takes care of us and gives us incredible joy as we reach out in obedience. His words are true!