Pride Pile

The pride of a rooster

Picture of actual rooster in this story

It was a bright sunny day in the barnyard. The chickens were scattered about, happily free-ranging all over the place. Everyone was just being their happy little selves when something a bit odd took place. You see, in the barnyard near the barn there is a certain pile. When the barn gets cleaned out, that’s where the mess goes. Anyway, on top on said pile the Buff Orpington rooster stood crowing –feet planted in that stinky, greenish-brown, steaming filth— for all to hear!

*Sigh*

Roosters.

Now I’ve seen roosters just about fall on their faces due to putting so much effort into crowing. I’ve seen roosters strutting so high they tripped over a root while they were walking. It is no wonder how the term “cocky” originated from the obnoxiously arrogant roosters and young cockerels. But this occasion trumps them all. Standing on top of the pile of you-know-what to stand as high as he could over his hens with no regard for decency, this rooster crowed with all the pride he could muster.

When I considered this story, the only verse could I think of that really compared to the atrociousness of the rooster crowing proudly from the pile of…let’s just say… that which cometh out of the south end of a northbound cow –not milk. Philippians 3:18-19

“(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)”

Whose glory is in their shame. That was that rooster. Even while he stood atop that which Ezekiel was commanded to bake his bread over… the rooster did not sneak, or try to hide his embarrassing position. Instead, he crowed loudly for all to hear. The rooster gloried even in his place of shame.

If you look around at the world long enough, it isn’t hard to find people who, like the rooster, are glorying in the shame. Rather than try to find a way out of the mess they are in and get cleaned up, they boast about their predicament. They glory in sin and shame.

The Bible gives us many warnings to help us avoid finding ourselves in a similar position as the rooster –maybe not with actual KJV definition of “dirt” (which… let’s just say isn’t exactly just dirt yet.) Here are a few examples.

1 Corinthians 10:12 “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”

Proverbs 11:2 “When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.”

And perhaps the most famous, (though usually misquoted.) Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”

Peter found himself in a similar predicament, only, the rooster (a different one --not mine) was the one to remind him. Jesus warned him that he would deny Him three times. Peter insisted he would be strong. Just as he had finished denying Jesus for the third time, the rooster crowed and Peter rushed out of the courtyard to weep. Peter’s moment of boasting came quickly before his humiliating fall into shame.

Yet Jesus did not leave him there. After He rose from the dead, Jesus went out and sought Peter. He restored him three times –each for the three times he denied Him. Peter went on to be one of the great Apostles of the early church. That fall was not the end for Peter, and neither no our falls and failures have to be our end. Many people know John 3:16, but do you know the next verse? Here is John 3:17 “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” Jesus came the earth not to condemn us for all our failures, but to save us from our sins.

The Bible contains much advise to help us stay off of Manure Mountain, away from sin and the shame it brings. Yet even when we fail, the Bible also tells us this in 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”