March 29, 2021
31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
33 But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.” – Luke 22:31-24
Simon, called Peter, is at the meal of the Passover with his Lord. He is not only a disciple of Jesus, but probably considers himself to be the Lord’s best friend. He hangs on every word that Jesus says, Peter always has a response to what Jesus would ask. Peter is the prime example of the “teacher’s pet.”
I don’t thinks there are any huge issues with being a “teacher’s pet” other than perhaps by your peers who do not like the attention you get, or the smugness that you feel as though you might be better than them. But one thing is for sure, if you are the one to whom the teacher shows appreciation, everyone knows who you are.
In the moments after Jesus arrest, people knowing Peter was not to Peter’s advantage. He followed Jesus to the house of Caiaphas, the High Priest, wanting to know what was going to happen to his Lord, while keeping his distance.
The home of Caiaphas would have been near the temple complex, and quite possibly as Jesus and his disciples headed to the east gate to make their way to the Mount of Olives, they would have walked right past it. I wonder, if as Jesus walks past the place where he will soon be charged and accused in a completely illegal trail that his heart broke for Peter who would deny him on those same grounds.
Peter follows, and the gospel of John tells us that the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved was also there, indicating that John was with Peter in the courtyard.
Peter warms himself by a fire, because it is the middle of the night, and perhaps from such a vantage point he might be able to see Jesus, and/or hear the outcome what is taking place.
It’s there by the fire, that Peter gives into fear and doubt, but he does not turn over his Lord, instead denies ever knowing him.
First, a servant girl, notices is face in the firelight. She looks at his face, tries to remember where she has seen that face before, perhaps when Jesus was teaching in the temple she had seen this man with him, so she speaks up, this man, he was one of those who was with Jesus. He is one of his followers. Peter exclaims, I don’t know him. 1.
Then someone else begins to examine the face of Peter, how he is dressed, looks at his body language, and begins to think about if they have ever seen this man before, and then they too accuse. You are one of them. Peter exclaims, I am not. 2.
An hour or so goes by, Peter getting anxious trying to see what is going on in the courtyard, now even in view of Jesus, another person who has probably been watching him this whole time, seeing how he reacts to what they are doing, noticing that by the way that he looks and is dressed, that he is a Galilean, like so many who had followed Jesus were. And this man exclaims that he must be one of Jesus followers. And Peter exclaims, I don’t know what you are talking about. 3.
We all have weak moments in our faith, but it is not by our weakness nor by our times of denial that set us apart from those who are called on to be saints. It is by the grace of God in which we are forgiven and reconciled, that we join with Christ and are remade in his image of love.
Grace & Peace,
Sam