At that moment, the cock crowed for the second time

While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she stared at him and said, ‘You also were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth.’ But he denied it, saying, ‘I do not know or understand what you are talking about.’ And he went out into the forecourt. Then the cock crowed. And the servant-girl, on seeing him, began again to say to the bystanders, ‘This man is one of them.’ But again he denied it. Then after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, ‘Certainly you are one of them; for you are a Galilean.’ But he began to curse, and he swore an oath, ‘I do not know this man you are talking about.’ At that moment the cock crowed for the second time. Then Peter remembered that Jesus had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.’ And he broke down and wept.

- Mark 14:66-72

Yesterday's passage told us that Peter had followed Jesus at a distance, into the courtyard of the high priest, where Peter sat at the fire with the guards. While Jesus has endured a trial inside, with false witnesses testifying against him and contradicting themselves, Peter has been outside in the courtyard. Jesus' prediction that the "sheep would scatter" is true; Mark tells us there was one young man who followed but was caught and driven off (often assumed to be Mark himself), and the gospels also tell us that of the remaining loyal disciples, only Peter and John have the courage to follow Jesus. In this passage, we are given to understand that Peter has waited outside with the guards and servants, warming himself by the fire, while Jesus is inside.

What takes place here is Peter's famous denial of Christ, as was predicted quite literally and specifically by Jesus himself. 'Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times,' he said. We recall that Jesus said these words in response to Peter's sworn allegiance, even unto death. Here Peter comes to terms with his own weaknesses, as he realizes that he has done just that. He denies Jesus three times before he hears the cock's second crowing.

We are told that even before a servant girl, he does not admit to knowing Jesus. When Peter realizes what he has done, he breaks down and weeps, in perhaps the most famous denial of all religious history. Peter, our Rock (so named by Jesus) has also given us the great example of human weakness. We all fail, my study bible reminds me, and the important lesson here is really not about failure, but about how our natures and weaknesses betray us and are with us all the time. Yet, weakness and all, our embrace and love within the relationship to our Creator is complete. Peter's recognition of his own failure means that he will come to repentance; his tears teach us about regret and repentance, and what it is to let ourselves down in failure. 'The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.'

If faith is the trust we place in relationship to the Person of God, then truly our repentance for having failed that relationship is the sign that we wish to cement it, to continue in that relationship. If betrayal is something we dismiss as unimportant, then this is a sign that the relationship itself is not of great importance to us. So, I think there is a crucial emphasis placed on repentance for a very important reason: our humility is a necessary factor in relationship, and especially in relationships of love - as opposed to those of convenience, exploitation, convention, social conditioning, etc. A relationship of love will always require us to be aware of our weaknesses, and to seek to do better when we let our loved ones down. All weakness must be forgivable; if this were not so, which of us could remain in relationship? Therefore, the willingness to know ourselves and to come to repentance signifies the willingness and the desire to remain in relationship. It can be interpreted, in some sense, as the sign to God - and to those whom we love - that we care, we wish always to remain in that relationship of love.

So, the importance of repentance in religious thought and in Christian tradition signifies, if seen in this perspective, as a sign to God that we wish to remain in that relationship of faith. We are aware of our weaknesses, and we come to terms with them by simply repenting. The times we let down ourselves, and others about whom we care, will be myriad. We are not created perfect as the angels in heaven, nor were we meant to be. Sin and evil in the world mean that there are myriad temptations to our weaknesses, the problem is further complicated by what Jesus called the 'time of trial.' For this reason, we 'watch and pray,' so that we may remain alert. So the tools of Christian tradition, repentance and prayer, are important for one reason: because they are the ways in which we maintain relationship to God. They are the ways in which we maintain - we signal our deep desire - for a loving, trusting relationship to God. This is the rock of faith. Peter's coming to terms with his own weaknesses establishes for us all the "rock" of the foundation of the church. First, before all things, is faith - a loving and trusting relationship to God. And from that faith come our works.

The man who would become the leader of the apostles is also the one who remains forever understood as the one who would deny his master. We must remember that our great strength is not in what we would call "perfection." It is rather, in the desire to continue and grow in that relationship, in faith, and from there we take our strength. We are here, not to be perfect in some sense of absolute conduct and understanding, but rather to "become perfect" in the sense that we are ever growing in that relationship, coming to terms with our weakness and growing in the fruits that come from that relatedness and faith. Peter's strength - including the name given him of "Rock" - will come from that faith and that relatedness; once the Spirit comes, we will see the great Rock himself and his courage before others, to the very end of his life, as exemplary.