I love old cartoons. Used to watch them at nana and pa’s place. 5pm weeknights on channel 9. One of my favorite characters from these times are wile e coyote, who is constantly chased by the road runner.

The cartoon character who most reminds me of myself is the poor bloke who runs out over the cliff, who runs in place a moment before realizing there is nothing underneath him but air. Of course, he’s fine until he looks down, where he is shocked to see the ground way below him. Clawing frantically to the side of the cliff but failing to reach, he plunges down. This character; Wile E. Coyote, the sorry predator who has been chasing the Roadrunner for decades now.

Some time in my life I can find myself in a situation that I don’t really want to be in. I find myself free falling. Something bad has happened and I can’t really see any way out. Falling is one of the great images I have of following Jesus, and sometimes, when I out there with no ground under me, I’m clawing the air to get back to solid ground.

But Wile E has something that I don’t. He’s invincible. He never actually gets hurt. Falling off a cliff doesn’t faze him. The next scene he’s doing something else with dynamite or uncovering some inept plan.

There lies the difference between Wile E and me. I don’t recover so easily. We still wander around feeling a bit stunned. This happened to me when I cracked a rib playing football; I wandered around not quite sure what had happened to me at the time before I worked out that I should come off the field. But it’s not just physical that may stun us. It may well be emotional; perhaps your family life might not be going well.

Our bible reading tells us of a person who had it hard. Peter. One moment he’s right behind Jesus. He pledges to stick by him through thick and thin.

‘Peter declared ‘Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you’
Matthew 26:35

The next thing Peter knows, Jesus is being taken down the hill with the soldiers and things start to change. He begins to deny Jesus. With each denial, a bit of ground gives way, just like the ground disappearing under Wile E’s feet. And just like Wile E, he doesn’t see it until it’s too late.

He denied it again, with an oath: “I don't know the man!” fter a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away.” Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, “I don't know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

The rooster crows. Peter lifts his eyes above the courtyard, only to find Jesus looking at him. Jesus is being hounded by accusations, but he doesn’t hear them. He only hears the denial of one of his best friends. Peter remembers the words of Jesus and weeps, as his world comes tumbling down around him. Each tear a confession, each sob an admission.

There is another story about an Emperor called Frederick who visited one of his prisons. He spoke with the prisoners, and each man claimed to be innocent, a victim of the system. One man however, sat quietly in the corner.
“And sir, who do you blame for your sentence.”
The man replied “Your majesty, I am guilty and richly deserve my punishment.”
Surprised, the emperor should for the prison warder “Come. Take this man and release him, before he corrupts all these innocent people”

For the ruler can set us free once we admit we are wrong.

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”
1 John 1:8-9

To feel guilt is no tragedy; to feel no guilt is.

For to feel guilt shows that we know right from wrong, and secondly that we seek to be better than we are. We know there is a better way we can be.

I think that when Peter saw Jesus looking at him he was flooded with guilt. He found himself in that deep cannon of despair, as he watched his friend die, but if Peter had never felt that he had done anything wrong, he would not have gone on the be the first one to proclaim that the crucified Jesus had risen.

“But God raised Him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him”. Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
Acts 2:24,41

If Peter had shed tears but not seen the miracle of the cross, he would have known only despair.
Perhaps if Peter had seen the cross and not shed tears, he would have just known arrogance.
But Peter saw down, and he was set free and became the full person that God could make him to be. That full person through God’s grace received through faith.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by our works, so that no one can boast
Ephesians 2:8-9
Jesus said; “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
John 10:10

Whatever situation you find yourself in, whether you are in the pits of despair, busy working out your own plans for your life, tearing along at 100 mph, or just cruising through life, look to the miracle of the cross and allow God himself to pick you up this Easter.

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