While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.
But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.
Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns.”
Luke 22:47-53
During 2026, Peachtree Church is inviting everyone into Cultivate, a churchwide discipleship plan centered on the fruit of the Spirit and the kind of life God longs to grow in us. Throughout the year, we’ll explore how love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control take shape in everyday life through the Spirit’s work. Cultivate brings together worship, Scripture, group guides, and meaningful practices designed to meet you where you are and support growth in ways that fit your season. These twice-weekly devotionals are one way to stay connected, offering reflection and grounding for daily life with God. Whether you engage in many ways or just one, you’re invited to be part of this shared journey of becoming more rooted in who God has created and called you to be.
Devotional
When I was in late elementary school and middle school, I struggled to control my temper. I was a short, overweight kid who struggled with a speech impediment, which meant I stood out as different from the majority of the other kids at my school. As is often the case in these settings, I ended up getting teased for my differences. Rather than allowing those teasing comments to roll off my back like I knew that I should, I would lash out with my fists and words in ways that were not appropriate and left me feeling even worse than the actual teasing.
I’ve always connected with this scene in Gethsemane where one of the disciples, who we believe to be Peter based on the other actions from his life, acted in a similar manner. As the crowd approached Jesus to arrest him, Peter did not wait to see what Jesus would do; he did not follow in the peaceful manner that Jesus had taught. Instead, he lost his temper and cut off the right ear of the high priest’s servant. Peter’s actions are the exact opposite of the peaceful way of life that Jesus had taught.
Whenever I think through Peter’s actions, I do so in comparison to the words that Jesus taught during the Sermon on the Mount, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well” (Matthew 5:38-40). Peter knew the right thing to do in this situation. He had been taught the way of life that Jesus has called us to follow, but in a moment when he felt as though everything he had done for the previous three years was being threatened, he lashed out.
It’s important for us to think through the “why” of this moment, both Peter’s response and Jesus’ call to peaceful resolution. Peter thought that he was defending his rabbi, but in doing so, he forgot that Jesus was not simply a teacher but the Messiah of God. Jesus taught that we should turn the other cheek so that we would understand that violence always begets more violence, or as Gandhi famously said, “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” In our moments when we are tempted to lose sight of the self-control that we are called to exercise, it can be helpful for us to understand why we are about to respond this way and to examine our response in light of God’s call on our life.
For Reflection
- Do you struggle with self-control? In what situations is it easier or harder to maintain a calm and cool presence?
- Where do you see God calling you to be a voice that brings peace rather than fostering anger and response?
Prayer
Lord, we know that you have called us to be a self-controlled people, to exercise the spiritual muscle that allows us to surrender our challenges to you. Help us in the times when we desire to respond with anger or impulsivity to hear your voice speaking peace into our hearts and minds. In Jesus’ name we pray; amen.
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Devotionals