Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself. So they asked him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?”
He denied it, saying, “I am not.”
One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?” Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow. John 18:25-27
This passage comes complete with an exchange that very much sounds like: “I know who you are, bro, you bashed my cuz.”
Peter probably thought the guy was going to get revenge for his cousin and bash him back. Or chop his ear off.
Which probably explains his behaviour.
Explains, yes. But doesn’t justify.
The passage opens again with the connective meanwhile, and we see that the gospel writer, John has set up a well-structured back and forth between Jesus inside being questioned and Peter outside in the courtyard, at the fire.
Still.
Again, it’s the little words that say so much in the passion recount. Peter is still at the fire, looking after himself. Still concerned about number one – himself. Meanwhile, Jesus is still going through the wringer.
Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself. So they asked him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?”
He denied it, saying, “I am not.”
Here we see that it wasn’t just the servant girl who knew that John was connected to Jesus. They is a plural pronoun (to default to my EAL teacher position again).
There’s a group of them who know that John is ‘with’ Jesus. None of them are attacking John. Why does Peter think they are going to turn on him?
For whatever reason Peter seems to think it’s unsafe to show his loyalties. But it’s not justified and perhaps that’s why God brings in the signal of a rooster crowing, like a warning sign, to tell Peter how far off course he had sailed.
In John’s gospel Peter’s error stops at this point, but other writers note that Peter left the venue and wept bitterly at the realisation of what he had done.
Godly sorrow leads to repentance wrote the apostle, Paul in 2 Corinthians.
It makes logical sense that this is true; because if we are truly sorry we will change our behaviour. Before the gospel of John draws to its close it is clear that Peter has done exactly that.
In fact it only takes until Easter Sunday for Peter to get himself back on course. That’s a quick turnaround – about 3 days – for which we should praise God. Judas was overcome with grief but it didn’t end in the same way for him.
Pray that we might always be quick to repent and not be overcome with grief; but rather turn our grief into the motivation for right living.
Yours with just such a prayer,
Alison
Alison