April 14, Good Friday

Lesson: Mark 14.53-72

Sermon Title: Denial in the Courtyard

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INTRODUCTION:

Saul Bellow has a marvelous short story entitled "Leaving the Yellow House."

It's the tale of Hattie Simmons Waggoner, an elderly woman who lived alone in a house that she inherited.

It was all she had and was everything to her.

The woman who willed it to Hattie was now dead.

All Hattie's family was gone. She had no children or husband.

Living alone and becoming increasingly frail, she turned in on herself and turned also to drinking too much.

She, of course, knew that she had to make a change.

She could not continue in that big rambling house.

She had to go somewhere else, to leave the house (that's one of the meanings of the title "Leaving the Yellow House").

She had to leave it to someone in her will.

That's the other meaning of the story's title.

She knew this, but for years did nothing about it.

Then, one day, driving while drunk, she had a minor traffic accident.

Her arm was broken.

Her license was taken away.

She recovered, but the arm was slow to heal.

Friends came to tell her that she had to leave, had to get out--still she couldn't.

One night, thinking that she'd finally come to a decision, she sat down and began to write a will:

"I, Harriet Simmons Waggoner, being of sound mind and not knowing what may be in store for me at the age of 72 (born 1885), living alone at Sego Desert Lake, instruct my lawyer, Harold Claiborne, Paiute County Court Building, to draw my last will and testament upon the following terms."

She lifted her pencil from the page, thought a bit, took a drink, realized that she spent all her life waiting. She thought to herself, I was waiting, thinking, "Youth is terrible, frightening. I will wait it out. And men? Men are cruel and strong. They want things I haven't got to give."

Then she turned again to write the will:

"Upon the following terms...Because I have suffered much. Because I only lately received what I have to give away...It is too soon! Too soon!...Even though by my own fault I have put myself into this position. And I am not ready to give up on this. No, not yet. And so I'll tell you what, I leave this property, land, house, garden, water rights, to Hattie Simmons Waggoner. Me! I realize this is bad and wrong. Not possible. Yet it is the only thing I really wish to do, so may God have mercy on my soul."

In her hour of extremity and need, all she could think to do was to try insanely to leave the house to herself, to perpetuate a tragic situation.

She could not accept and would not choose the decision that was forcing itself upon her.

  1. She could not leave the house.

    1. Hattie Simmons Waggoner is in denial.

    2. The will is the result of her life of denial.

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MAIN BODY:

  1. If only he had not fallen asleep.

I was participating in worship at the Morrisville, Vermont Church. Mr. Lester Roscoe was also a participant.

    1. The pastor was waxing aliquant.

    2. Mr. Roscoe had fallen asleep.

    3. The pastor had not noticed that Mr. Roscoe had fallen asleep.

    4. The pastor had a habit of asking rhetorical questions.

    5. This day in making a point, he exclaimed, "Isn't that right, Brother Roscoe.

    6. Brother Roscoe got up and began to pronounce the benediction.

    7. Because he had fallen asleep, Brother Roscoe was taken by surprise as was unprepared to answer the rhetorical question.

      1. He was not asleep.

      2. He was resting his eyes.

      3. He is in denial.

  1. Because he had fallen asleep in the Garden, Peter was unprepared for the trial into which he was now entering.

    1. While Peter was below in the courtyard he is questioned by one of the servant girls.

      1. She saw Peter warming himself.

      2. She stared at him and said: "You also were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth."

        1. Peter denies it.

        2. "I do not know or understand what you are talking about."

    2. Peter now moves tot he forecourt and the cock crowd.

      1. The servant girl seeing him again began to say to the bystanders, "This man is one of them."

      2. Again he denies it.

    3. Peter is now, "In for a Penny, in for a Pound"

If something is worth doing then it is a case of in for a penny, in for a pound, which means that when gambling or taking a chance, you might as well go the whole way and take all the risks, not just some.

    1. Then after a little while the bystanders again say to Peter, "Certainly you are one of them; for you are a Galilean."

      1. Peter begins to curse.

      2. Peter wears and oath, "I do not know this man you are talking about."

    2. At that moment the cock crowed for the second time.

      1. Peter remembers what Jesus had said to him, "Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times."

      2. He breaks down and weeps.

  1. Denial is?

    1. A refusal to comply with or satisfy a request.

    2.  

      1. A refusal to grant the truth of a statement or allegation; a contradiction.

      2. Law. The opposing by a defendant of an allegation of the plaintiff.

    3.  

      1. A refusal to accept or believe something, such as a doctrine or belief.

      2. Psychology. An unconscious defense mechanism characterized by refusal to acknowledge painful realities, thoughts, or feelings.

    4. The act of disowning or disavowing; repudiation.

It was Emily Dickinson who wrote:

I many times thought peace had come
When peace was far away.
As wrecked men deem they sight the land
At center of the sea
And struggle slacker, but to prove
as hopelessly as I,
How many the fictitious shores
Before the harbor lie.

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  1. If we are asleep can we be prepared?

    1. Sleep is not necessarily sleep.

Adam Clarke commenting on Ephesians 5.14 says:

"As a man asleep neither knows nor does any thing that can be called good or useful, so the Gentiles and all others, while without the knowledge of Christianity, had not only no proper knowledge of vice and virtue, but they had no correct notion of the true God.

"But though they were asleep--in a state of complete spiritual torpor, yet they might be awoke by the voice of the Gospel; and though dead to all goodness, and to every function of the spiritual life, yet, as their animal life was whole in them, and perception and reason were still left, they were capable of hearing the Gospel, and under that influence which always accompanies it when faithfully preached, they could discern its excellency, and find it to be the power of God to their salvation. And they are addressed by the apostle as possessing this capacity; and, on their using it properly, have the promise that Christ shall enlighten them."

    1. This kind of sleep can result in denial.

  1. Denial is a self-protective mechanism that may have many causes.

    1. Denial may be caused by arrogance.

      1. Filled with pride

      2. Feeling superior

      3. Full of presumption.

    2. Denial may be created by ignorance.

    3. Denial can be the consequence of rationalization.

    4. Denial may be the result of fear.

      1. Peter is afraid.

      2. He is afraid because he is unprepared.

      3. If only he had not fallen asleep in the Garden

    5. If we are asleep what resources have we denied ourselves so that we do not fall into denial.

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CONCLUSION

  1. Peter does not let his denial deny him the forgiveness and love of the Savior.

    1. He will meet Jesus along the shore of Galilee and be questioned.

      1. They have had breakfast.

      2. Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?"

        1. He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you."

        2. Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs."

      3. A second time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"

        1. He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you."

        2. Jesus said to him, "Tend my sheep."

      4. He said to him the third time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"

        1. Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?"

        2. And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you."

        3. Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep, (John 21:15-17, 19 NRSVA).

      5. Then Jesus said, "Follow me."

  2. No matter where we find ourselves.

    1. No matter the conditionn of our lives.

    2. No matter what the circumstances that have overcome us.

    3. Still Jesus says, If you love me, there is forgiveness and restoration.

    4. Come and follow.

Amen!

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