(Mark 14:66-72 ESV)
Peter, oh Peter, how he LOVED Jesus. He really did.
He came close by, sat with the guards, keeping an eye on his Lord.
He was warned by Jesus that he would deny him, but didn't believe it would be so.
And now here he is... seeing what is happening, hearing what is happening.
The questions come.
Two from a servant girl
"You were also with the Nazarene Jesus" - Peter's response "I neither know or understand what you mean".
"This man is one of them" - again Peter denied it.
One from a bystander
"Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean" leading Peter to curse himself and swear "I do not know this man of whom you speak".
Then the rooster crowed a second time.
Peter remembered.
And he cried.
My heart aches for this man Peter.
It really does.
It's been a long hard day for him.
He loves Jesus so.
And yet, when push came to shove it was just too much for him.
The noise, the fear, the worry, the questioning.. it was all too much for him.
And then oh then the realization that he betrayed the one he loved most.. he betrayed him through denying him. He cried in his brokenness.
Oh Peter.. the heart break he must have felt.
But I know from later on in the Bible that Peter more than makes up for his weakness, he doesn't let this failure stop him later on. He goes on to become the Rock, a Pillar of the Church that Jesus knew he would be.
I read this brokenness. I see the steadfastness later and I see HOPE.
Hope for those who would deny the Lord and later come to see him better.
Hope for those now suffering persecution and having to deal with the fear and hurt and the noise...knowing some will break.... and how HARD it is.
And knowing that even through all this, some will come back, some will be rocks for the believers in their area, some will point the way to the hope that is in the Lord God.
This is good yes?