Lenten Devotion – The Fall and Restoration of Peter
Day 37, 27 March 2024
And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly. Luke 22:61-62
Jesus was arrested at Gethsemane late in the night and all the disciples, except Peter, had scattered in fear. Peter had followed Jesus to the chief priest’s house and sat among the servants around a fire in the courtyard. There he was recognized by three persons but each time he had said he did not know Jesus.
Just as Jesus was being let out of the chief priest’s house, the third person had claimed that Peter was one of the disciples. Fearing for his life, Peter had answered, “ Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.” (Luke 22:60) At that moment the rooster crowed and Jesus turned and looked straight at Peter but did not say a word. And Peter remembered what the Lord had spoken to him earlier.
We cannot imagine how Peter must have felt but he was shattered with such anguish and pain that he went out and wept bitterly. Peter had been one of the main disciples of Jesus for more than three years. He was self-confident, arrogant, reckless and courageous but at that moment of denial he was a broken man.
Some time after the resurrection of Jesus, Peter went fishing with six disciples. They caught nothing the whole night but in the morning someone on the beach told them to cast their net on the right side of the boat and they managed to catch a large number of fish. Then one disciple pointed out to Peter that it was the Master on the beach.
Peter jumped into the water and made his way to meet Jesus with the others following in the boat with the catch. While having breakfast, Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him, correlating with the three times he had denied Jesus.
Each time Peter had answered that he did and he felt hurt after the third time. Jesus simply told him to “Take care of my sheep.” John 21:16. Jesus loved Peter unconditionally and had prayed and forgiven him, restored him and recommissioned him for service again.
We may not have gone through the same painful and traumatic experience as Peter. But we too have denied Jesus in many ways. We deny Jesus when we profess Christianity but fail to witness to others about Christ or live up to His teachings. Sometimes we want to fit into a group who might not be receptive to Christianity and so we do not talk about him. As Christians we should convey our faith in our conversations and be ready to face ridicule and always remember what Jesus has said “…..whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” Matt 10:33.
Let us learn from Peter’s denial to never deny Christ and be always willing and courageous to witness for Christ and to live up to His teachings.
Tek Tin🙏