Luke 22:47 – 62 Denial

Luke 22:47 – 62 Denial

While he was still speaking, a crowd approached and in front was one of the Twelve, a man named Judas. He went up to Jesus to kiss him. Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" His disciples realized what was about to happen, and they asked, "Lord, shall we strike with a sword?" And one of them struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said in reply, "Stop, no more of this!" Then he touched the servant's ear and healed him. And Jesus said to the chief priests and temple guards and elders who had come for him, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? Day after day I was with you in the temple area, and you did not seize me; but this is your hour, the time for the power of darkness." After arresting him they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest; Peter was following at a distance. They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter sat down with them. When a maid saw him seated in the light, she looked intently at him and said, "This man too was with him." But he denied it saying, "Woman, I do not know him." A short while later someone else saw him and said, "You too are one of them"; but Peter answered, "My friend, I am not." About an hour later, still another insisted, "Assuredly, this man too was with him, for he also is a Galilean." But Peter said, "My friend, I do not know what you are talking about." Just as he was saying this, the cock crowed, and the Lord turned and looked at Peter; and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, "Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times." He went out and began to weep bitterly.

Jesus is arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. Betrayed by Judas, he is taken away by men with clubs and swords. His followers offer some resistance but Jesus quells it for two reasons: 1) he does not believe in violence of any kind, and 2) he knows his hour has come. As he is taken away, Peter follows along at a distance. Several people see Peter and recognize him as one of Jesus’ disciples. Peter of course denies it three times and then the cock crows – just as Jesus had foretold. Peter goes out and weeps bitterly. This is the man that Jesus will place his church/movement into the hands of – a man who has lacked courage, who has denied him, who has sometimes been foolish and boastful. Sound familiar? It does to me. I have been all of those things and more.

Even though Peter is far from perfect, Jesus still believes in him. Jesus’ belief in Peter, Peter’s attempts to be the person Jesus knows he can be, the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the needs of other, all came together for Peter and he had a huge impact on the lives of many – founding a church movement that changed the world. All of these factors can come together for us as well - our faith in Jesus, his faith in us, our attempts to live up to that faith, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the needs of others. But we have to be willing to try and fail and try again as Peter was willing, even though like him we are far from perfect.