Focus

Stop and thank God for being present with you today. Ask for God’s guidance as you hear God’s voice through scripture and the writer.

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Read

Luke 22:31-33, 54-62 (NRSV)

“Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” And he said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!” …

Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house. But Peter was following at a distance. When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. Then a servant-girl, seeing him in the firelight, stared at him and said, “This man also was with him.” But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” A little later someone else, on seeing him, said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” Then about an hour later still another kept insisting, “Surely this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about!” At that moment, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

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Reflect

I have been a teacher for 18 years and have seen many interactions between students and parents. One of the things I have taken away from those years is that I rarely use the word never. As a parent, when it comes to commenting on what my children will or will not do, I normally say something like, “I seriously doubt that,” but refuse to use the word never.

This scripture is a good example of why we should avoid using never. We certainly wouldn’t have thought that Peter, one of Jesus’ inner circle of disciples, would have denied Jesus once, much less 3 times. Peter got out of the boat and walked on water, declared Jesus the Messiah, and was proclaimed by Jesus as the “rock” upon which he would build the church. Despite all this, Peter denied Jesus three times.

We know that neither we nor anyone else we encounter will be perfect, which means we need to remember to pass on the grace that Jesus later bestowed upon Peter. Let’s also not forget that Peter “wept bitterly” when he realized what he had done. Repentance is a key to forgiveness.

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Pray

Dear Lord, help us always to remember that we need you. Thank you for showing us that even the most committed Christians miss the mark. Let us respond to our sin with repentance. Thank you for giving us your Son, so that we might seek your forgiveness. Help us today to be your humble servants. Amen.

Go with God.