If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!

 

 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes.  For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."

Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, "It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And He was teaching daily in the temple.  But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.

 

-  Luke 19:41-48

 

Yesterday we read that, after Jesus told the parable of the Minas to His disciples, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.  And it came to pass, when He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, saying, "Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat.  Loose it and bring it here.  And if anyone asks you, 'Why are you loosing it?' thus you shall say to him, 'Because the Lord has need of it.'"  So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them.  But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, "Why are you loosing the colt?"  And they said, "The Lord has need of him."  Then they brought him to Jesus.  And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him.  And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road.  Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: "'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!' Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples."  But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out." 

 

  Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes."  My study Bible explains that the name Jerusalem means "foundation of peace."  It's only faith in Christ that brings true peace.  This is a truth hidden from a city that will soon rebel against its Savior.  My study Bible further explains that there are two kinds of peace.  One is a false or shallow peace; harmony that results from ignoring issues of truth or from a repressive coercion.  Genuine peace is reconciliation to God through faith in Christ and surrender to truth.  

"For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."  The destruction of Jerusalem, here predicted by Jesus, would occur in AD 70.  My study Bible says that this also describes the spiritual end of every person who lacks faith. 

Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, "It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And He was teaching daily in the temple.  But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.  Those who bought and sold in the temple were trading in live animals which were to be used for sacrifices.  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11.  My study Bible comments that the cleansing of the temple also points to the necessity that the Church be kept free from earthly pursuits.  As each person is considered to be a temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19), it's also a sign that our hearts and minds must be cleansed of earthly matters. 

 

It's important to observe that the text presents us with the various layers of social conflict around Jesus.  While Jesus is teaching daily in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him.  The elites at the top, those who administer and regulate the faith and hold positions of high authority, are seeking to destroy Him at the time of the Passover, in this final week of Christ's earthly life.  At the same time, this coalition of the powerful were unable to do anything, because all the people were very attentive to hear Him.  It's interesting to note the power of the people in this presentation.  It is "all the people" who wish to listen to Jesus and hear what He has to teach.  Presumably, we can read into this statement that the people seek to know truth, regardless of the concerted effort from the powerful entities above who wish to control how people worship and how they practice their faith.  Clearly, the cleansing of the temple by Jesus points to practices He finds to be objectionable and corrupt, especially the practices involved in the collection of money and the ways that the things necessary for sacrifice become used to gather wealth and profit.  In the other Gospels we read vivid descriptions of Christ driving out the money changers.  These are people who exchanged Roman coins for Jewish coins to be used in the temple, as Roman coins bore the image of Caesar and so were considered to be defiling in the temple. But no doubt this exchange opened the door for profiteering from pilgrims who come for the Passover.  The texts also speak specifically of Christ chastising and targeting those who sold doves in the temple (Matthew 21:12, Mark 11:15, John 2:14-16).  Doves were the least expensive and therefore affordable sacrifice for the poor; to profit off the poor is an insult to Christ and to traditional Jewish spiritual sensibility, in the understanding that God loves the poor.  As Messiah, Jesus' great act of cleansing the temple is the first He undertakes as He's made His Triumphal Entry into the city.  It's the first great act of authority He makes, and the one vivid action of force we see Him expressing in the Gospels.  He will certainly be immediately questioned regarding His authority to do so by the religious leaders.  But nonetheless, as the Gospels tell the story, none of their power can completely avail them of the ability to suppress the gospel message and the ministry of Christ.  There is expressed in the story of Christ the deep, almost organic tie between an unstoppable truth and the faith of the people that draws them to that truth in Christ.  They long to hear Him, and the religious authorities must fear that deep desire on the part of the people, for the Roman authorities will look askance at any instability among the people under their rule.   Christ speaks truth directly to the hearts of people who are receptive to it, who will respond with faith, with trust (the root meaning of the word for "faith" in the Gospels).  The rigid control of the authorities, and their corrupt practices, cannot long withstand that truth -- and this is the dynamic at work which will culminate in Christ's prophesied destruction of Jerusalem.  It is the unseen world of the Kingdom, of the holiness which Christ brings into the world, that challenges the structures of manipulation, the materialist power of "mammon," and the people whose hearts are open to it, and deeply desire it, will respond.  The religious leaders can already see that, but they cannot foresee its power and lasting impact remaining in the world to come.  Christ reveals to us the reality of the Kingdom, and may we continue to live and dwell within that reality, despite those who might wish to deny it today.   That is, those for whom these things remain hidden from their eyes.  For we still need to recognize the time of our visitation, and the things that make for our peace.

And when he thought about it, he wept

 

 Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came.  And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, "You also were with Jesus of Nazareth."  But he denied it, saying, "I neither know nor understand what you are saying."  And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.  And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, "This is one of them."  But he denied it again.  And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, "Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it."  Then he began to curse and swear, "I do not know this Man of whom you speak!"  A second time the rooster crowed.  Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times."  And when he thought about it, he wept.

 

- Mark 14:66–72 

 

Yesterday we read that they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes.  But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest.  And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.  Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.  For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.  Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, "We heard Him say, 'I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.'"  But not even then did their testimony agree.  And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, "Do You answer nothing?  What is it these men testify against You?"  But He kept silent and answered nothing.  Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"  Jesus said, "I am.  And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."  Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "What further need do we have of witnesses?  You have heard the blasphemy!  What do you think?"  And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.  Then some began to spit on Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, "Prophesy!"  And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands.   

 Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came.  And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, "You also were with Jesus of Nazareth."  But he denied it, saying, "I neither know nor understand what you are saying."  And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, "This is one of them."  But he denied it again. We can't read this passage without refreshing our memories of the events earlier in the night, when Peter swore to Jesus at the Last Supper, "Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be."  Jesus then told Peter, "Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times."  Peter then spoke more vehemently, "If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!"  (See Friday's reading.)  My study Bible comments regarding the events in today's passage that a girl being the first to test Peter is an icon of the temptation of Adam by Eve (Genesis 3:6).  Our fallen state, it says, is overcome in Christ when women are the first to hear, believe, and proclaim the Resurrection (Luke 24:1-10).  

And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, "Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it."  Then he began to curse and swear, "I do not know this Man of whom you speak!"  A second time the rooster crowed.  Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times."  And when he thought about it, he wept.   As Mark reports it, the second time the rooster crowed, Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him.  In Luke's report of this event, it's not the rooster's second crow that makes Peter recall Jesus' word to him, but a gaze from the Lord Himself (Luke 22:61-62).  Either way, Peter wept at the realization.  My study Bible quotes St. Ambrose of Milan who comments that "through tears, what cannot be defended can be purged, for tears wash away the offense which is shameful to confess out loud."

St. Ambrose comments on the cleansing nature of tears.  This is an important understanding in the traditions of the Church.  The Orthodox tradition of using prayer ropes evolved out of the practice of the desert monastics, in which knots are made for use as "beads" of prayer.  In such practice, there is almost always a tassel at the end of the rope (see this image, for example).  It is said that this tassel is for wiping away the tears that come from true repentance.  There is possible no greater nor more powerful image for such cleansing tears as the one of St. Peter in today's reading.  In so many ways, Peter has set the example of discipleship for us, both in his failings and in his greatness as de facto spokesman for the Twelve.  In today's reading, the comment from St. Ambrose reminds us, we are taught by Peter's example, that "through tears, what cannot be defended can be purged, for tears wash away the offense which is shameful to confess out loud."  While people might often speak disparagingly of those who are able to produce false tears at the drop of a hat, historically it is understood that it is in tears that the soul truly reveals itself.  We cry not only for repentance about those things of which we are ashamed, but also for other things which we cannot change -- and still, the tears remain signs of truthfulness, and also repentance of a different sort.  That is, tears are also signs of the sorrow that comes from mourning.  Tears might easily accompany a confession of childhood abuse or trauma; in the sense of which we speak today, these would not be tears of self-pity nor even tears of suffering, but tears that accompany the recognition of a truth one does not like to admit to oneself.  This still fits in the important category of repentance and confession, for it isn't until we can reveal the painful truths at the bottom of behavior patterns we'd like to heal that we can begin to have the "change of mind" we seek in Christ (for "change of mind" is the true meaning of the Greek word for repentance).  In modern times we seem to have waylaid our understanding of the significance of tears in this light, but that would seem to me a grave mistake.  Possibly it is because we are saturated with images on social and other media where, for decades now, we can see nothing but acting or playing a role.  But the significance of the tears that memories can produce in our own lives should not be thrown away easily or lightly, for a great deal depends upon the reality that is truly revealed in such tears.   In those tears, the soul reveals true feelings about past events, the trauma of things we've kept hidden from ourselves, the shame of those experiences we don't want to look at.  But the healing even from things that are not our fault is necessary in the process of transformation and repentance ("change of mind") that we will find in our journey with Christ, for it is from such painful experiences that false behaviors grow, and that depend upon the lies we tell to ourselves.  The only true way to heal is through the faith that Christ offers us, and the transformation process of the Cross to find the better way in which we are guided to live our lives, for of such character is true confession made, even in the lives of the saints.  Our toughest and most shameful experiences belong with Christ, for it is His way we seek out of them and through them.  This is part of the process of forgiveness, in which we seek God's way to respond even to people who have harmed us.  Just as tears reveal St. Peter's coming to terms with the truth of his own failure and reconciliation to Christ in the truth that Christ revealed to him, so tears also reconcile us to the truth of things we'd rather pretend were not there in any circumstance.  Each comes out of necessary confession and revelation of a truth we need to face, and each comes to wash away falsehood before Christ, and to help to reconcile us to Christ.  For it is only Christ who can help us to properly address our flaws and weaknesses, and the hard experiences that have given us our vulnerabilities.  It is Christ and the saints, and the angels who seek to help us through life, upon whom we must seek our way through pain and difficulty, lest we fall victim to false ways in which to cope or create the illusion of invulnerability or pride.  Let us come to terms with the power of tears and of confession, in which our soul is revealed to us before God, in the loving hands and heart of Christ.  In this way, like Peter, our tears can wash away what can't be defended so that we return to Him with empty hands, for only He can properly fill them for us.

 

 

 

It is written, "My house is a house of prayer," but you have made it a "den of thieves"

 

 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes.  For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."

Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, "It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And He was teaching daily in the temple.  But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.

 

- Luke 19:41-48 

 

Yesterday we read that, after Jesus taught to His disciples the parable of the Minas (in response to their expectation that the kingdom of God would manifest immediately), He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.  And it came to pass, when He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, saying, "Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat.  Loose it and bring it here.  And if anyone asks you, 'Why are you loosing it?' thus you shall say to him, 'Because the Lord has need of it.'"  So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them.  But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, "Why are you loosing the colt?"  And they said, "The Lord has need of him."  Then they brought him to Jesus.  And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him.  And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road.  Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying:  "'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!'  Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"  And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples."  But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out."

 

Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes.   My study Bible illumines this passage by telling us that Jerusalem means "foundation of peace."  Only faith in Christ brings true peace.  But this is a truth that is hidden from a city that will soon rebel against its Savior.  Another note explains that there are two types of peace.  There is a false peace which is a shallow harmony that results from ignoring and suppressing issues of truth.  A genuine peace is reconciliation to God -- the ultimate truth -- through faith in Christ and surrender to truth.  Genuine peace has division as a byproduct (see Luke 12:51) because not everyone wants truth.  In the fallen world, divisions are necessary for truth to be manifest (see 1 Corinthians 11:18-19).

"For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."  Here Jesus foretells the destruction of Jerusalem which would occur in AD 70.  My study Bible tells us that this also describes the spiritual end of every person who lacks faith.  

Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, "It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And He was teaching daily in the temple.  But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.  Those who bought and sold in the temple were trading in live animals which would be used for sacrifices.  Let us keep in mind that a good sacrifice was meritorious; the poor could afford a smaller sacrifice only.  Moreover this was not a small operation, but all Judaism participated in sacrifice in the temple (see this article on an archeological perspective regarding the economy of the sacrifice, and the centrality of this temple operation to the wealth of Jerusalem).  The money changers traded Roman coins for Jewish coins -- as Roman coins bore the image of Caesar, who was worshiped as a god, and were therefore considered to be defiling in the temple.  We can simply imagine the powerful economic power that resulted from both the sale of animals for sacrifice and money exchange, as pilgrims from everywhere in the extended Jewish world, both in Israel and the Jewish diaspora, came to the temple to participate in the Passover feast.  My study Bible says the cleansing of the temple also points to the necessity that the Church be kept free from earthly pursuits.  As each person is considered a temple of God, it notes (1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19), it is also a sign that our hearts and minds must be cleansed of earthly matters.  With this in mind as part of the story of the Gospels, let us pay attention to sources of conflict between Jesus and the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people -- and all the people who were very attentive to hear Him.  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11.

I am very struck by the centrality and enormity of the economy of Jerusalem around the sacrifices in the temple.  Clearly, the temple was meant to be the center of Jewish life, and the center of Jerusalem, and for reasons of faith.  But for Christ, the conflicting interests of the powerful wealth driven by the practices of the temple clearly form a problematic division in the priorities of the religious authorities and their attachment to this economic interest.  Indeed, this shows through the Gospel in His encounters with the varied groups of religious leaders.  For example, Luke's chapter 16 centers around Jesus' teachings regarding money and the deriding response of the Pharisees whom we're told were "lovers of money" (Luke 16:14).  In Matthew 23:14, Jesus describes the scribes and Pharisees as hypocrites who "devour widows' houses" and "for a pretense make long prayers."  Lest we fool ourselves into thinking such problems disappeared with the destruction of the temple in AD 70, we have only to look around at the history of the Church in its varied forms and denominations throughout the past two millennia, and indeed, in the headlines concerning scandals about money in our own lifetimes.  The problems to which Jesus responds are temptations that remain with us, and hence this episode should not be forgotten as a lesson for us as we continue to read the Gospel today.  We remain human beings who must learn that we cannot serve both God and mammon, as Jesus taught as part of the discourse in chapter 16 (see Luke 16:13).  It teaches us that this conflict remains with us, and the need for our own discernment regarding who and what we serve remain compelling and necessary, always with us.  Today in a media-saturated world in which we are increasingly focused on online activity, it is really important to be aware of all the ways in which we're encouraged to base our concept of ourselves on the image we project to others.  So often success is dependent upon a purely materialist perspective regarding appearance and the acquisition of the things that seem to make us admirable or attractive.  This is a related temptation we shouldn't ignore, as even for Christ these elements composed His criticism of the religious establishment.  In our next chapter in Luke, Jesus will warn the disciples -- in the hearing of all the people:  "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation" (see Luke 20:45-47).  Jesus' actions proclaim to us a need for our own awareness to our tendencies to confuse outward appearance with a heart drawn toward God, and this is where our focus -- as always emphasized in Christ's teachings -- must remain.  The depth of our prayer, an attitude of humility before God, a willingness to choose between what seems to gain us attention or approval and the things given to us through our faith -- these are still the things for which we give our time and effort in order to remain true to God and therefore the truth of Christ's teaching.  We seek first His kingdom, and all else follows (Luke 12:31).  Let us also understand that it is in such endeavor where we find the things that make for our peace.

If I tell you, you will by no means believe. And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go

 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.

Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him.  And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy!  Who is the one who struck You?"  And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.

As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, "If You are the Christ, tell us."  But He said to them, "If I tell you, you will by no means believe.  And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go.  Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God."

- Luke 22:54-69

Yesterday we read that, coming out from the Passover supper, He 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."

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."  My study bible explains the paradox and poetry of the Scriptures, at work even at this low point in the story of Christ and the Church.  A girl being the first to test Peter is an icon of the temptation of Adam by Eve (Genesis 3:6).  My study bible says that this, as symbol of our fallen state, is overcome when it is women who are the first to hear, believe, and proclaim the Resurrection (24:1-10).

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.  Peter's fear is so overwhelming that neither Christ's prediction (verse 34) nor the crowing of the rooster signals a call to repentance, but only Christ's gaze causes him to weep bitterly, according to my study bible.  St. Ambrose of Milan is quoted, who writes that nevertheless, "through tears, what cannot be defended can be purged, for tears wash away the offense which is shameful to confess out loud."

Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him.  And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy!  Who is the one who struck You?"  And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.  We see the contempt with which our Lord was treated.  We should understand His condescension to be one of us, to be with us, so that He may bring us all into His Kingdom.  Even as divine Lord, Christ experiences the demeaning and degrading experiences that we may suffer.  Added to these facts, this is also a picture of blasphemy.  But we should consider that these same men -- and the centurion in charge of them -- may also come to repentance and be included in His flock (Matthew 27:54, Mark 15:39, Luke 23:47).

As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, "If You are the Christ, tell us."  But He said to them, "If I tell you, you will by no means believe.  And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go.  Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God."   Particularly during the time that Jesus was teaching daily in the temple (earlier during the Passover festival), Jesus asked many questions of the Jewish leaders which they refused to answer, because doing so would have meant confessing Him as the Christ (20:4-7; Matthew 22:41-46; Mark 3:4).  At this time, it is as if Jesus is declaring judgement; the time for His effort at dialogue with them is over, as they will refuse to respond either way.  Their minds are made up and hearts are hardened against Him.  His final statement is a declaration that He is equal with God.

In today's reading, we're witness to the power of darkness which Jesus spoke about in yesterday's reading (above).   Jesus is mocked and violently abused by the soldiers.  Moreover, when it comes time for Him to be questioned, He straightforwardly acknowledges His inability to get a fair hearing:  "If I tell you, you will by no means believe.  And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go."  In the midst of what He knows to be certain conviction, and to those who will sit in judgment against Him who have already decided their verdict in advance, Jesus tells the truth.  It's like a conviction He teaches to each of us that no matter how hard things look, we need to face facts.  Jesus will not waste His time attempting to coerce these men to change their minds.  But He does present one more extraordinary fact to them:  He declares His divinity and equality to God.  He tells them, "Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God."   Ironically enough, and of course just as Christ knows full well, this is the "evidence" they need to convict Him of blasphemy.  But in this case, Jesus is telling the truth; He is declaring the extraordinary fact they don't want to hear and don't want to know -- but it is nevertheless a statement which they can and will use to convict Him of the crime of blasphemy, for which they will attempt to have Him put to death by the Roman state.  What is important to know here is that Jesus stands in His truth.  While it appears from all human perspective that this is Christ in some sense "giving in" to these people, giving them what they want in order to convict Him, the tables are turned.  It is He who judges, and His word that judges.  When Christ stands in this truth, it is those who censor Him for it who convict themselves.  Let us keep in mind Christ's abandonment even by one of His closest apostles, the one who speaks for the rest of them, Peter.  The human Jesus is entirely alone.  And yet, He testifies to His truth.  He at once accepts the facts of the matter that are stacked all the way against Him, and He still tells His truth.  We know who Christ is, and the power that He wields as judge and arbiter and the one who gives us the word of truth.  But He also stands in for us, when we may find ourselves in such an unjust position.  We may be abandoned and alone, and surrounded only by those vicious enough to convict us for their own personal reasons.  We find ourselves with those who are not willing to give us a fair hearing.  But, with God, and in a prayerful acceptance of the realities with which we are surrounded, even in the worst of circumstances, we stand in our own truth with only One who judges; that is, Christ.   In an existential sense, this is where we are all the time -- and all the rest of the things we may or may not take for granted make no real substantial difference to us when it comes down to who we are face-to-face with Christ.  That is to say, in this place of terrible abandonment, Christ is neither alone nor without His truth.  He has come to this place simply for us, and so that we know when we may stand in this same place He is with us, and that it is His judgment alone that really counts.  When we are tried in the most difficult and desperate of circumstances, we find Him and the Holy Spirit, and with them God the Father; we take up His courage and His truth, we follow His ways, knowing He was there before us and is yet there with us.  Jesus alone tells us His truth.  The real question is how we can stand in that same place and find our truths with Him.  As we go toward the days we celebrate His birth, let us come to terms about just what it is that determines our truths and our worth, and remember that when all might be against us, it is only His judgment that counts.

Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times." And when he thought about it, he wept

 Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came.  And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, "You also were with Jesus of Nazareth."  But he denied it, saying, "I neither know nor understand what you are saying."  And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.  And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, "This is one of them."  But he denied it again.  And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, "Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it."  Then he began to curse and swear, "I do not know this Man of whom you speak!"  A second time the rooster crowed.  Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times."  And when he thought about it, he wept.

- Mark 14:66-72

Yesterday we read that after seizing Him in Gethsemane, the soldiers led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes.  But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest.  And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.  Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.  For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.  Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, "We heard Him say, 'I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.'"  But not even then did their testimony agree.  And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, "Do You answer nothing?  What is it these men testify against You?"  But He kept silent and answered nothing.  Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"  Jesus said, "I am.  And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."  Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "What further need do we have of witnesses?  You have heard the blasphemy!  What do you think?"  And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.  Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, "Prophesy!"  And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands.

 Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came.  And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, "You also were with Jesus of Nazareth."  But he denied it, saying, "I neither know nor understand what you are saying."  And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.  And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, "This is one of them."  But he denied it again.  And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, "Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it."  Then he began to curse and swear, "I do not know this Man of whom you speak!"  A second time the rooster crowed.  Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times."  And when he thought about it, he wept.  My study bible says that a girl being the first to test Peter is an icon of the temptation of Adam by Eve (Genesis 3:6).  It's an image of our fallen state which is completely overturned when it is women who are the first to hear, believe, and proclaim the Resurrection (Luke 24:1-10).  We may observe the intense levels of fear that Peter's experiencing:  neither Jesus' prediction nor the first crowing of the rooster calls him to repentance.  At the second call, he remembers Jesus' word to him.  It's an important lesson in repentance, as my study bible quotes St. Ambrose of Milan on Peter's tears:  "through tears, what cannot be defended can be purged, for tears wash away the offense which is shameful to confess out loud." 

Perhaps one of the many great gifts of the Gospels is one not spoken of very frequently:  the emotions that are on display both in the apostles and in Jesus.  We know there were times when Jesus wept.  When John writes about Jesus' friend Lazarus, the memorable shortest verse we know simply tells us, "Jesus wept" (John 11:35).  Jesus weeps in compassion, with His friends who are devastated at the death of their brother, with the mourners, and for His friend, although He will restore His life.   Luke tells us that Jesus wept over Jerusalem, knowing the fate that is to come to the city and the consequences of His rejection by the leadership (Luke 19:41-44).  As He goes to His crucifixion, He tells the women who weep for Him, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children" (Luke 23:28).  Jesus is not a stoic.  His strength isn't the kind of strength of a detached philosopher who lives through intellect and above emotions.  Jesus is, rather, fully human, and He teaches us what it is to live our full humanity as we also seek the will of God in all things.  He doesn't hide from His life and feelings.  The apostles are no exception to this pattern of emotional display.  They make many mistakes in following Christ and coming to know His teachings.  They "forget" about miracles when they suspect Jesus is upset with them because they've forgotten to bring bread for a journey, after two feeding miracles in the wilderness.  Even Jesus marvels at their lack of understanding (Mark 8:11-21).  They selfishly concern themselves with who will be the greatest among them in the kingdom they think will manifest immediately -- not only do they dispute this question, but His great close friends John and James Zebedee even request of Him the greatest places (Mark 10:37).   Moreover, this takes place just after Jesus has told them He will be crucified!  The Gospels are full of human mistakes and human emotions.  The last word we'd use to describe these men whom Jesus has chosen would be "supermen."  No, they are the opposite of what the world might consider supermen in some formal philosophical sense.  They are men:  uneducated "people of the land" from Galilee.  But they are the perfectly chosen apostles, and via their faith and grace they do become a certain kind of "supermen," they become those men who will be able to drink the cup that Christ drinks, and they will live their lives and sacrifice all for the gospel message.  Their faith and the work of grace transcends, builds, expands, and incorporates all that they are to build the work of the Kingdom in the world.  Our greatest example is Peter, who denies Christ three times after swearing he would rather die -- even after being warned by Jesus.  But this is the great gift to us of the Gospels, because we have to understand that God loves and takes in all that we are when building up faith and grace in us.  There is no part that is left out.   The thing that Jesus never teaches is to simply ignore parts of ourselves that are less than perfect.  Rather, we must wrestle with that fact, and must not be blind to it.  We must come to repentance (or more literally, "change of mind" in the Greek), and that only happens through knowledge, through the understanding of our own weaknesses and what tempts us.  Peter will return to Christ, and answer the question, "Do you love Me?"  Even then, Peter's conduct isn't "perfect" -- he just has to ask what John is supposed to do, to which Jesus replies, "What is that to you? You follow Me"  (see John 21:15-25).  What the Gospels teach us is that all of ourselves must be acknowledged.   Our goal isn't a kind of perfect strength that admits no weaknesses.  Rather, it's awareness, alertness.  That's also part of watching and praying.  We're to know what we're about, and not be blind to ourselves.  Neither are we to go about pretending that whatever we are is simply perfect.  Rather, we're on a road through a narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), the one to which He leads us, the one for which He Himself is the door (John 10:7-9).  In that context, neither is our journey a competition, but rather we are to help one another with our own flaws and problems.   The only way to do that is to be aware of our own capacity for temptation and weakness (see Matthew 7:1-6).  Peter's tears give us the greatest gift, the gift of ourselves, our journey, and the story of transfiguration for all of us.  Everything we have and all that we are becomes part of a sacramental life:  given to Christ to be shaped and built by grace for His love -- and love is the true story here.  It's for love that we become as full as we can be as human beings.  This is the hero Peter becomes.  Let us be truly thankful.