Therefore they said to him, "You are not also one of His disciples, are you?" He denied it and said, "I am not!"

 

 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 

 

Our recent readings in St. John's Gospel took place against the backdrop of the Feast of Tabernacles, an autumn festival.  The setting is the final year of Christ's earthly life.  He had been disputing with the religious leaders, who unsuccessfully tried to have Him arrested.  On Saturday, we read that Jesus replied to them, "He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."  Then the Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?"  Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.  And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.  Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death."  Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon!  Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.'  Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead?  And the prophets are dead.  Who do You make Yourself out to be?"  Jesus answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing.  It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.  Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him.  And if I say, 'I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word.  Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."  Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?"  Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."  Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

 

  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.  Today the lectionary skips forward in the Gospel of St. John, as this week we enter into Lent.  Jesus has been arrested in the garden of Gethsemane, and has been taken for night trial in the home of the high priest.  See John 18:1-14.   Here my study Bible notes for us that the other disciple mentioned is St. John himself, the author of this Gospel.  It remarks that it was a common practice for an author to conceal his name in the details of his story (see John 13:23; compare with Mark 14:51-52; Luke 24:13, 18).

 

 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.  My study Bible comments on the fact that it is a girl who is the first to test Peter.  It says that this is an icon of the temptation of Adam by Eve (Genesis 3:6).  The fallen state, my study Bible notes, is overcome in Christ, when a woman is the first to hear, believe, and proclaim the Resurrection, also told to us by St. John (John 20:1; 11-18).  

 

  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 has now denied Christ three times, before the rooster crowed (as Jesus prophesied, see John 13:38).  But St. Peter will be restored through his three affirmations of love following the Resurrection (John 21:15-17).  

 

 As we approach Lent this week, the lectionary now shifts to our preparation for this period.  In the Armenian Apostolic Church, Lent begins today.  In Western Churches, Lent begins Wednesday (Ash Wednesday); in the Eastern Orthodox Church, it begins on Monday, February 23rd and we are now in the period called Triodion.  The theme in today's reading, of course, is St. Peter's denial of Christ.  The story as it unfolds doesn't shrink from presenting the whole story in its essential angles.  St. John first gives us (in chapter 13) the moment at the Last Supper when St. Peter swore to Christ he would never deny Him, and Jesus made His prophesy that Peter would deny Him three times before the crowing of the cock.  We observe St. Peter's temperament, always with a sort of exuberance one way or another.  When Jesus seeks to wash his feet (as well as that of the other disciples), the conversation we're given goes as follows:  Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, are You washing my feet?"  Jesus replies, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this."  Peter responds, "You shall never wash my feet!" Jesus tells him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me."  Peter's new response:  "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!" (see John 13:2-11).  So it is with Christ's prophesy of denial.  At the end of the Passover meal (the Last Supper), St. Peter asks Jesus, "Lord, where are You going?"  Jesus answers, "Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward."  Peter asks Him, "Lord, why can I not follow You now?  I will lay down my life for Your sake."  Jesus said, "Will you lay down your life for My sake?  Most assuredly, I say you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times."  Today's reading gives us the denouement, if you will, to that story.  Peter fails, and he fails miserably in this sense in which he'd sworn he would die for Christ's sake.  (His promise remains true however, in terms of St. Peter's martyrdom and choice of death by crucifixion, in humility requesting he be upside down so as not to be equal with Christ; see this short biography.  It would simply happen much later.)  But the Gospel, written in the light of St. Peter's subsequent leadership, powerful preaching, and heroic martyrdom, gives us all the details of a man whose exuberance perhaps outweighs his eventual wisdom, strength, and authority.  In short, we see St. Peter as a human being with our own flaws and weaknesses.  Courage indeed that we are presented with such a human leader, and the Rock of the Church (John 1:42).    But St. Peter's example serves all of us as a model for our lives, and especially leading into Great Lent, when we consider what repentance, humility, and spiritual discipline really mean for us.  For Christ's love -- and St. Peter's great love for Christ -- in the end reconciles all things for those who love God.  And this is our model, that repentance is our return to communion with our loving God, complete with loving correction, and the continuing journey of discipleship.  As my study Bible notes, Jesus, after His death and Resurrection, will ask Peter three times, "Do you love Me?"  And St. Peter will reply, "Yes," to which Jesus will give the command for restoration of his place as disciple, "Feed My lambs."  See John 21:15-19.  When we seek to return to Christ, we seek the loving communion that is always on offer.  Like St. Peter, regardless of our own shame at our weaknesses and susceptibility to temptation, God's love is so great that we're not only restored but brought to glory in response.  As human beings, we are not created perfect and incapable of error.  We are meant to grow, and to grow under the love of a loving God, not the harsh tutelage of a world based on rejection of God's love and all that rejection brings.  Let us proceed into Lent with this understanding, and seek a greater depth of communion and faith through all things and in light of all the practices of Lent for our growth in discipleship.

 

 

 

And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." So he went out and wept bitterly

 

Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard.  And a servant girl came to him, saying, "You also were with Jesus of Galilee."  But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you are saying."  And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, "This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth."  But again he denied with an oath, "I do not know the Man!"  And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, "Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you."  Then he began to curse and swear, saying, "I do not know the Man!"  Immediately a rooster crowed.  And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  So he went out and wept bitterly.

 

- Matthew 26:69-75

 

Yesterday we read that those who had laid hold of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.  But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest's courtyard.  And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.  Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the councils sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.  Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none.  But at last two false witnesses came forward and said, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.'"  And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing?  What is it these men testify against You?"  But Jesus kept silent.  And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living God:  Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  Jesus said to him, "It is as you said.  Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven."  Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy!  What further need do we have of witnesses?  Look, now you have heard His blasphemy!  What do you think?"  They answered and said, "He is deserving of death."  Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ!  Who is the one who struck You?"

 

 Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard.  And a servant girl came to him, saying, "You also were with Jesus of Galilee."  But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you are saying."  My study Bible comments on the report that it is a girl who is the first to test Peter.  It notes that this is considered an icon of the temptation of Adam by Eve (Genesis 3:6).  It says that our fallen state is overcome in Christ when women are the first to hear, believe, and proclaim the Resurrection (Luke 24:1-10).  

And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, "This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth."  But again he denied with an oath, "I do not know the Man!"  And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, "Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you."  Then he began to curse and swear, saying, "I do not know the Man!"  Immediately a rooster crowed.  And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  So he went out and wept bitterly.  Peter is so overcome with fear, my study Bible notes, that through these three people questioning him as to his relation to Christ, he did not recall Christ's prediction nor come to repentance.  But the crow of the rooster causes him to remember.  As St. Luke reports this story, it is the gaze of Christ from within the home of the high priest which causes him to weep bitterly (Luke 22:61-62).  

Let us note that Peter's denial of Christ is not a simple matter of simply staying silent and moving away, but the second time he's questioned, he actually denied knowing Christ with an oath.   The third time he's questioned, moreover, he began to curse and swear to make an even more vehement denial.   To our modern ears, these may seem like vehement embellishments of speech, emotionally digging himself in to make his denial seem more significant.  But in the Bible oaths and swearing are taken quite seriously, for these are seen as commitments one makes with one's word before the Lord.  Jesus has taught, in the Sermon on the Mount, "Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.' But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one" (Matthew 5:33-37).  So, in a certain sense, Peter is not just simply denying knowing Christ, but he is even disobeying His commands to His disciples.  The other example we have in the Gospels of someone so carried away by his passions that he swears a rash oath, with disastrous consequences, is King Herod Antipas (see this reading).  So the denial of Christ by Peter is an occasion upon which we have to reflect what it means that Jesus teaches us not to swear at all, because our simple words must suffice for the power of truth.  So important is this understanding of our word and the importance of its truth, the Lord teaches us that swearing and oaths are vain -- and more than "Yes" or "No" is from the evil one.  Clearly Peter's emotions have put him in a place where he's without the balance to even recall Christ's words to him earlier in the evening, and so this becomes a cautionary tale to us.  If even the great St. Peter, leader among the apostles, can be so easily thrown off his guard and fail to remember his devotion to Christ, then what about the rest of us?  Let's recall Peter's words to Jesus earlier in this evening:  "Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble," and, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" (see Matthew 26:31-35).  There's another essential, important lesson we can learn from Peter's denial, and that is in his tremendous capacity for humility.  We recall the powerful rebuke given to him by Jesus, when Peter protested that Jesus should not die:  "Get behind Me, Satan!" (see Matthew 16:22-24).  Can we imagine such a word from Christ, in front of the rest of the disciples?  And yet, Peter did not turn away, but accepted.  From this humiliating and bitter failure, Peter will also return to the disciples, and for his true repentance be also specifically forgiven and received by Christ.  So, in the telling of this story, we also have St. Peter's saving humility, inseparable from his capacity for repentance, and from his genuine love of Christ.  But we're taught, also, not to trust in ourselves to the point that we're unaware of our own vulnerabilities and weakness under strain.  Let us once again consider how Christ teaches us the true power of our word, to be aware of the things we swear, the heat of the moment, and the challenges to our honor or standing in front of others.  Let us, indeed, endeavor to remember to keep it simple.  The capacity for humility is perhaps the greatest tool we have for saving grace, for finding our way through the difficult struggles and pressures we encounter in life, and in the carrying of our cross of faith.