And the Lord turned and looked at Peter

 

 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?  When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me.  But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."

Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house.  But Peter followed at a distance.  Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.  And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him."  But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him."  And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are of them."  But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"  Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean."  But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!"  Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.  Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  So Peter went out and wept bitterly.

 

- Luke 22:52–62 

 

On Saturday, we read that, coming out from the Passover supper, Christ went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him.  When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."  And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."  Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.  And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow.  Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep?  Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."  And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"  When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?"  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.  But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this."  And He touched his ear and healed him.   

Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?  When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me.  But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."  Throughout the readings of last week, in which the events of Christ's betrayal and arrest were given, the text clearly marks the ultimate culprit for this plot of Christ's death.  That culprit is Satan; that is, the one whose influence is the power of darkness, who works through the weaknesses, temptations, and passions of human beings.  Regarding "darkness" see John 3:19-21, 13:30.

Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house.  But Peter followed at a distance.  Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.  And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him."  But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him."  And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are of them."  But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"  Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean."  But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!"   My study Bible tells us that a girl being the first to test Peter is an icon of the temptation of Adam by Eve (Genesis 3:6).  It notes that our fallen state is overcome in Christ when it is women who are the first to hear, believe, and proclaim the Resurrection (Luke 24:1-10).

Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.  Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  So Peter went out and wept bitterly.  My study Bible comments that Peter is so overcome with fear here that neither Christ's prediction (Luke 22:34) nor the crowing of the rooster calls him to repentance.  It is only when the Lord turned and looked at Peter that His gaze causes Peter to weep bitterly.  Quoting St. Ambrose of Milan, my study Bible says that nevertheless, "through tears, what cannot be defended can be purged, for tears wash away the offense which is shameful to confess out loud."

Peter wept bitterly at the realization of his own failure.  At the Last Supper (that is, the Passover supper which Jesus had eaten with His disciples just prior to His arrest in the garden of Gethsemane), Jesus warned Peter, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  (See Friday's reading.)  Peter replied, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  But Jesus told him, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."  Peter has let himself down, despite his great protestation to Jesus that he was ready to go with Him, both to prison and to death.  The bitter tears are his response to the realization that his fear has kept him even from admitting to a servant girl that he is a follower of Christ.  But Peter's bitter tears give him a chance again at something.  They give him a chance to repent and to return to his brothers and sisters in the Church, to return to Christ.  Jesus says, tellingly, "But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  There is a role for Peter to play, and even this failure will not stop his faith.  Of course, we know that he did return and resumed his role as a leader among the apostles and the early church.  This great example of the apostle who would go on to serve and lead gives to us an important teaching for all.  Peter has his weaknesses, and they are on full display throughout the Gospels.  His exuberance often causes him to overestimate his capacity for strength, but his faith will be steadfast, and he will die a martyr.  Indeed, even in the words Jesus said after Peter declared he would go to prison and die for Him, Jesus affirms that he has prayed for the strength of Peter's faith and that Peter must use this faith to come back and strengthen his brethren (and by inference the whole of the Church).  St. Ambrose comments insightfully that Peter would not have followed Christ to the home of the high priest -- even though he was clearly fearful -- if he was not devoted to Christ in the first place.  But his denial comes as the result of sudden temptation.  St. Ambrose compares Peter to King David, who writes, "Now in my prosperity I said, 'I shall never be moved,'" but then  admits that his boasting had harmed him, writing, "You hid Your face, and I was troubled" (Psalm 30:6-7).  Peter had boasted of his conviction and courage, but at Jesus' glance realizes he has let himself down.  St. Ambrose writes, "At that same moment and time, Christ looks at you. If you perhaps fall into some sin, because he is a witness to your secrets, he looks at you so that you may recall and confess your error. Imitate Peter, when he says in another place for the third time, 'Lord, you know that I love you'" (see John 21:15-19).  If great figures of our faith show us the effect of temptation, then let each one of us have the humility to remember this before we ourselves boast.  King David and Peter are also figures who resemble one another as each would help to lead the world to Christ, to be examples of faith and devotion.  Let us not forget that where we love Christ, there the Gospel story also reminds us that we will be tempted, having repeated throughout the readings for this week that it is forces of spiritual evil (in the figure of Satan) who work to harm the faithful and thereby the Church.  This is the power of darkness at work through human beings, and our weaknesses, temptations, and passions.  Peter's temptation is attributed to his fear of death in patristic commentary, where it is noted that Christ has not yet died nor risen.  The Gospel gives us Peter's tremendous example which shows our own need for humility, our capacity for repentance, and the love that is restored to us with Christ.  All of these things must be in Christ's eyes when He turned and looked at Peter.  Let us not forget it is all there, too, including His love, when He turns and looks at us.