Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. John 18:19

Connective words and phrases. They’re every language teacher’s bread and butter.

Being an English as an additional language teacher, I couldn’t help but pause and spend a moment – or a post – exploring the loaded meaning here in the connective, ‘meanwhile’.

In the previous passage Peter is warming himself at the fire and denying having any connection to Jesus. At this very same time – or meanwhile – Jesus is being put through the wringer with quite the inquisition.

While Peter’s chief concern appears to be keeping himself warm by the fire and maintaining a low profile, Jesus is doing the hard yards with the high priest.

Peter is concerned about number one – himself.

Meanwhile, Jesus is more than just ‘roughing it out’ for the sake of others.

There’s a stark contrast set up in that connective word: meanwhile. At the very same time as Peter chooses comfort, Jesus chooses pain.

At this point in time, I’d love to get inside Peter’s head. Just what exactly is he thinking? And why exactly is he hanging around?

Why bother being in the high priest’s courtyard at all? Is it just to maintain an appearance of bravado?

Perhaps I’ve spent too many years teaching teenage boys, but I can assure you that this is classic ‘textbook case’ saving face.

Peter has really talked himself up previously to Jesus. He’s said how loyal he is going to be. And yet, here in conversation, he is anything but. However, he’s got to at least make it look like he’s sticking to his word. Otherwise, he’ll lose face with the lads. So he hangs around still.

If I’ve seen it once, I’ve seen it a thousand times.  And fair enough too, life isn’t always what we expect.

And, if Peter denies he knows Jesus, well, it’s not as though Jesus is going to know about it, is it?

Except for the fact that Jesus did know about it and knew about it even before Peter did.

We know from later in the gospels that Jesus forgives Peter and reinstates him. But the betrayal here bites, and bites even harder because of what Jesus is doing – meanwhile.

Yours with a connective,

Alison