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And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. But Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in. Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, "You are not also one of this Man's disciples, are you? He said, "I am not." Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself.
. . .
Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, "You are not also one of His disciples, are you?" He denied it and said, "I am not!" One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?" Peter then denied again, and immediately a rooster crowed.
- John 18:15-18, 25-27
In Saturday's reading, from chapter 12 of John's Gospel, the setting was the third and final Passover festival Jesus will attend, the end of His ministry, and the beginning of what we now commemorate as Holy Week. The text tells us there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. These are Greek-speakers, those who have come from outside of Israel as proselytes or other God-fearing people who are drawn to Judaism and attend the Passover. Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus. But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor."
And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. But Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in. Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, "You are not also one of this Man's disciples, are you? He said, "I am not." Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself. Today's reading shifts from chapter 12 to chapter 18 of John's Gospel. But, in some sense, it is highly appropriate to follow Saturday's reading with today's. In the previous reading, Jesus spoke of self-sacrifice, and gave the notion that those who are His followers should be willing to do the same. My study bible says of Peter's reply here, "I am not," that Peter's denial of Christ is threefold (it continues in the later verses of the reading). See also Matthew 26:69-75. It says, "After the Resurrection of Christ, the Lord extends to Peter a threefold restoration and commission (21:15-17)."
Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, "you are not also one of His disciples, are you?" He denied it and said, "I am not!" One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?" Peter then denied again, and immediately a rooster crowed. Peter's threefold denial continues. In John chapter 13 (vv. 36-38), Jesus predicted Peter's betrayal, amid Peter's swearing he would lay down his life for Christ. Jesus replied to Peter, "Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times."
The lectionary skips from chapter 12 (in Saturday's reading) to the night that Jesus is taken for trial at the home of the high priest. What we are given today is the scene of Peter's threefold denial of Christ. We are to understand that he has three chances here to testify, but repudiates them all, denying that he is a disciple of Christ. In Saturday's reading, we read Jesus' statement, "He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also." But we are immediately confronted with a "servant" of Christ, Peter, who fails this task miserably, and fails three times -- although he has been explicitly warned by Jesus that he will do so. If we look at the verses that are missing from today's reading (vv. 19-24), the picture becomes even more painful. Jesus is within, bound, being questioned unjustly, and treated roughly. It is clear there is no intent of justice here for Jesus, in the middle of the night, while his disciple Peter is outside in the courtyard, denying any connection to Him. Another factor that makes it worse is that Peter's first denial is to a servant girl. This is not a court he's facing, but a courtyard full of servants, while he warms himself with them before the fire. Peter is not just any disciple; he's the one who is nominally their spokesman. When he speaks, to confess faith that Jesus is Christ, or at other times, it's usually with the understanding that he speaks for all the disciples. So the fact that he, in particular, is the one who will not testify here, but denies Christ, is a very essential one for us to understand. The gospel does not give us splendid examples of perfect humanity. Peter is anything but heroic in this scene. Yes, he will go on to an extraordinary martyr's death, but this itself is predicted by Jesus later in John. The actual circumstances are understood by tradition, not given us in Scripture. What we have given to us, in this Book of the Church, is Peter's all-too-human behavior, and to my mind, as we begin Lent, it's quite appropriate, because, in some sense, we are all Peter. He's been there first, before us, as the great example of the strength we think we have, and our real need for reliance on God's help. Surely Peter was believing himself to be completely honest when he swore he would lay down his life for Christ. But we don't always understand ourselves. Emotionally, we may think ourselves in one place, but psychologically, in the whole of who we are, we don't necessarily know ourselves as we think we do. It is Christ here who is the knower-of-hearts, the one who understands and sees. That is a very important lesson for all of us, because our reliance on Christ is precisely because we recognize our own imperfection, fallibility, vulnerability. It is important that we understand who we are, so that we also understand the help that is present to us, why we need it, and rely on it. The Holy Spirit will come to the disciples later, and their lives will change. But to recognize weakness and frailty is the key to understanding God's help, the Spirit that changes and transforms who we are, giving us courage when of ourselves we couldn't find the resources to do so. Lent is a time for coming to terms with ourselves. Let us remember this great example of humility in our Book, set out for us in the failure of he who, among others, would lead the Church, Simon Peter. It is a testimony to our faith that he is here, with his flaws exposed to all of us who come later, so that we may also come to terms with who we are, and how faith must work in us. The rooster crow is a signal for us to wake up to who we are and what we need. Today Great Lent begins for the Eastern Church, while in the West it will begin this week on Ash Wednesday. May it be a time for us to come to terms with how God works with us, and to come to accept who we truly are.
And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. But Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in. Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, "You are not also one of this Man's disciples, are you? He said, "I am not." Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself. Today's reading shifts from chapter 12 to chapter 18 of John's Gospel. But, in some sense, it is highly appropriate to follow Saturday's reading with today's. In the previous reading, Jesus spoke of self-sacrifice, and gave the notion that those who are His followers should be willing to do the same. My study bible says of Peter's reply here, "I am not," that Peter's denial of Christ is threefold (it continues in the later verses of the reading). See also Matthew 26:69-75. It says, "After the Resurrection of Christ, the Lord extends to Peter a threefold restoration and commission (21:15-17)."
Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, "you are not also one of His disciples, are you?" He denied it and said, "I am not!" One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?" Peter then denied again, and immediately a rooster crowed. Peter's threefold denial continues. In John chapter 13 (vv. 36-38), Jesus predicted Peter's betrayal, amid Peter's swearing he would lay down his life for Christ. Jesus replied to Peter, "Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times."
The lectionary skips from chapter 12 (in Saturday's reading) to the night that Jesus is taken for trial at the home of the high priest. What we are given today is the scene of Peter's threefold denial of Christ. We are to understand that he has three chances here to testify, but repudiates them all, denying that he is a disciple of Christ. In Saturday's reading, we read Jesus' statement, "He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also." But we are immediately confronted with a "servant" of Christ, Peter, who fails this task miserably, and fails three times -- although he has been explicitly warned by Jesus that he will do so. If we look at the verses that are missing from today's reading (vv. 19-24), the picture becomes even more painful. Jesus is within, bound, being questioned unjustly, and treated roughly. It is clear there is no intent of justice here for Jesus, in the middle of the night, while his disciple Peter is outside in the courtyard, denying any connection to Him. Another factor that makes it worse is that Peter's first denial is to a servant girl. This is not a court he's facing, but a courtyard full of servants, while he warms himself with them before the fire. Peter is not just any disciple; he's the one who is nominally their spokesman. When he speaks, to confess faith that Jesus is Christ, or at other times, it's usually with the understanding that he speaks for all the disciples. So the fact that he, in particular, is the one who will not testify here, but denies Christ, is a very essential one for us to understand. The gospel does not give us splendid examples of perfect humanity. Peter is anything but heroic in this scene. Yes, he will go on to an extraordinary martyr's death, but this itself is predicted by Jesus later in John. The actual circumstances are understood by tradition, not given us in Scripture. What we have given to us, in this Book of the Church, is Peter's all-too-human behavior, and to my mind, as we begin Lent, it's quite appropriate, because, in some sense, we are all Peter. He's been there first, before us, as the great example of the strength we think we have, and our real need for reliance on God's help. Surely Peter was believing himself to be completely honest when he swore he would lay down his life for Christ. But we don't always understand ourselves. Emotionally, we may think ourselves in one place, but psychologically, in the whole of who we are, we don't necessarily know ourselves as we think we do. It is Christ here who is the knower-of-hearts, the one who understands and sees. That is a very important lesson for all of us, because our reliance on Christ is precisely because we recognize our own imperfection, fallibility, vulnerability. It is important that we understand who we are, so that we also understand the help that is present to us, why we need it, and rely on it. The Holy Spirit will come to the disciples later, and their lives will change. But to recognize weakness and frailty is the key to understanding God's help, the Spirit that changes and transforms who we are, giving us courage when of ourselves we couldn't find the resources to do so. Lent is a time for coming to terms with ourselves. Let us remember this great example of humility in our Book, set out for us in the failure of he who, among others, would lead the Church, Simon Peter. It is a testimony to our faith that he is here, with his flaws exposed to all of us who come later, so that we may also come to terms with who we are, and how faith must work in us. The rooster crow is a signal for us to wake up to who we are and what we need. Today Great Lent begins for the Eastern Church, while in the West it will begin this week on Ash Wednesday. May it be a time for us to come to terms with how God works with us, and to come to accept who we truly are.
