PETER’S denial of Jesus, which is recorded in Luke 22:54-62, is a very popular story. After Jesus has been arrested by the temple guards, chief priests and elders, he was brought to the house of the high priest, but Peter followed him from a distance.
At the courtyard, three different people saw Peter in succession and each one asked him if he was with Jesus. On each occasion, we know what Peter answered. “I do not know him.” “I am not one of them.” “I do not know what you are talking about.” And just as he was answering the third questioner, the cock crowed, at which time the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered what the Lord had earlier said to him, “Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.”
Prior to this, haven’t we heard a courageous Peter saying, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death?” Haven’t we seen this apostle brave and bold in some other accounts of the gospels? But why the reversion, the fear and the cowardice a few hours later?
Instead of blaming Peter for what he has done, it only takes humility for us to realize that we, too, can see ourselves in Peter. Don’t many of us pray to God promising him a lot of things, only to falter a few days or even hours later? Don’t we promise God to follow him, only to turn our backs when obeying him becomes too difficult, or when disobeying him becomes deceptively pleasurable or convenient?
At one time or another we have all denied the Lord, for every time we commit sin we exchange God for something or someone less. Figuratively, like Peter we are saying, “I do not know him. I am not one of them. I do not know what you are talking about.”
Yet after the resurrection Jesus did not confront Peter harshly for denying him. No, Jesus approached him not with condemnation but with restoration.
In this Sunday’s gospel (John 21:1-19), as though a parallel with Peter’s three-time denial, Jesus asked the apostle the same question three times, “Simon, son of John, do you love me.” And each time, Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” For each answer, Jesus gave a corresponding instruction, “Feed my lambs. Tend my sheep. Feed my sheep.”
For all our failures, Jesus treats us in the same way, provided we feel sorry for having offended him. After the cock crowed and Jesus looked at him, Peter went out and wept bitterly – a gesture we can take as signifying remorse and repentance. We, too, should symbolically weep for our sins, and the good Lord will restore us.
If God were to exact justice for our sins based on our own merit, we will all perish. But thank God, we have Jesus on our side. He has paid the full penalty due us for our sins. We only have to believe in him, both in our words and in our actions – confessing with our mouth and heart that we love him as our Savior and our God.