Luke 22:54-63
54 So they arrested him and led him to the high priest’s home. And Peter followed at a distance. 55 The guards lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter joined them there. 56 A servant girl noticed him in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said, “This man was one of Jesus’ followers!”
57 But Peter denied it. “Woman,” he said, “I don’t even know him!”
58 After a while someone else looked at him and said, “You must be one of them!”
“No, man, I’m not!” Peter retorted.
59 About an hour later someone else insisted, “This must be one of them, because he is a Galilean, too.”
60 But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
61 At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” 62 And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.
63 The guards in charge of Jesus began mocking and beating him.
In the gospels, Peter stands out as a bold, passionate, and at times stubborn follower of Jesus. He is one of the Twelve, and even more, part of what many refer to as Jesus’ “inner circle.” He is the disciple who speaks first, tends to moves first, and often "leaps before he looks." And beneath all that impulsiveness, Peter is deeply loyal, and committed to Jesus with a genuineness that is hard to miss.
Think about his track record. He was the one who stepped out of the boat and actually walked on water toward Jesus. When Jesus spoke of suffering and death, Peter was the one who declared he would go to prison with him, die with him if necessary. In the garden, when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, Peter didn’t hesitate; he drew his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant. And when the other disciples scattered, Peter followed Jesus all the way to the high priest’s courtyard, staying as close as he dared.
In our reading today about Peter, we see that something shifted. As Peter waited in the shadows, trying to see what would happen to Jesus, a servant girl recognized him. “This man was one of Jesus’ followers!” she said. Peter’s response was immediate: “I don’t even know him.” A little later, someone else pointed at him: “You’re one of the disciples!” Again, Peter denied it. An hour passed. Another person spoke up: “This man must be one of them—he’s a Galilean.” And for the third time, Peter insisted, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
It’s easy for us to conclude that Peter’s loyalty had limits, that when the pressure rose and the danger became real, Peter’s courage collapsed into self-preservation. And before we judge him too harshly, we might need to admit that we are not so different. When fear closes in, when circumstances become painful or uncertain, when we feel cornered, most of us instinctively protect ourselves. Our commitments waver. Our courage draws back. Our priorities become limited to survival. Like Peter, our loyalty often goes only so far as long as we can stay in our comfort zone. It certainly has been that way in my faith journey at times.
But here is the good news: Peter’s story does not end in that courtyard. His failure, as real as it was, was not the last word. After the resurrection, Jesus sought Peter out. He didn’t shame him. He didn’t discard him. He restored him. Do you remember that, Jesus met Peter on the shore, offered forgiveness, renewed his calling, and welcomed him back into community. The one who denied Jesus three times became the one Jesus entrusted with feeding his sheep.
And that is our story too. Isn't it? No matter how many times we falter, no matter how deeply we act out of fear or self-interest, Jesus does not abandon us. He comes to us with the same grace he offered Peter, ready to forgive, ready to restore, ready to draw us back into his circle of love and purpose. I have learned, and I know so have many of you, that our failures may feel final, but in Jesus’ hands, they never are.
That is the astonishing promise of the gospel: Even when we are all about ourselves, Jesus remains all about us.
O love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee
LET'S PRAY
Heavenly Father, accept our honest confession of the wrongs we have chosen, the unfairness to which we have been party, and our denials of your grace and mercy. Would you turn us toward the love and forgiveness offered in your Son, and cleanse us by your mercy, forgive us, bring renewal through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
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