Then they seized [Jesus] and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house. But Peter was following at a distance. When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. Then a servant-girl, seeing him in the firelight, stared at him and said, “This man also was with him.” But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” A little later, someone else, on seeing him, said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” Then about an hour later, still another kept insisting, “Surely this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about!” At that moment, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
Luke 22:54-62
Consider:
Let’s first consider Peter in this heart-rending exchange between Jesus and himself. Peter, the bold and outspoken natural leader, is caught cowering away from this man whom he had declared the Messiah, the Son of the Living God (Matthew 16:16). Peter had witnessed the Transfiguration of Christ and heard God speak from heaven, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” (Matthew 17:5).
Peter’s zeal drove him to strike off the ear of one of the soldiers who came to arrest Jesus just hours earlier (John 18:10-11). But now, we see Peter, the most successful failure of all time, on his worst day ever! What happened to all of Peter’s resolve and determination to die for Jesus rather than see him harmed?
The underbelly of courage is fear, and we see in Peter how quickly fear takes control of us when we allow it. We are Peter! We come before the Lord to worship him; we declare our belief in him as the Son of God. We sit, stand, kneel, sing and pray, all out of love and devotion to Jesus Christ. But then we walk into a world that doesn’t honor and worship Christ. We choose silence in the face of resistance. We back down when we should stand up. We are so good at making resolutions, and we are even better at failing. Yes, the shoe fits all too well.
Let’s consider Jesus in this moment. Jesus has yet to endure the brutality and mockery of his Passion, but the pain he experiences at this moment surpasses the physical pain to come. The psalmist foreshadowed Jesus’s extreme abandonment at this moment: “It is not enemies who taunt me—I could bear that; it is not adversaries who deal insolently with me— I could hide from them. But it is you, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend, with whom I kept pleasant company” (Psalm 55:12- 14). And yet, and yet, Jesus turned to look at Peter through his eyes of love and forgiveness.
Pray:
Jesus, I’m so good at making resolutions and I’m even better at failing! Forgive me for the times I serve my fear rather than loving and serving you. Grant me the courage to love you with abandon. Jesus, you had me in your sights when you were mortified, flogged and beaten, mocked, and crucified, but none of it causes you as much pain as when I turn away from you every time I am afraid, or I’ve failed. You are the God of second chances…. a thousand chances; there is nowhere I can run from you that you aren’t there, waiting for me to look at you. ~Amen
The Maiden Warrior 