Peter denied Christ, do you?

I was reading Matthew in the 26^thchapter where Jesus was in the Garden praying and asked the disciples to pray with him. They kept falling asleep, I can’t criticize them for it, I would have probably done the same. As Jesus prayed Judas came and betrayed Him with a kiss. You already know that the disciples scattered like scared chickens and Peter ended up denying Him just as Jesus had told him he would. When Jesus had told him he would deny him three times before the morning rooster crowed as they shared the Passover meal, Peter began to protest and told Jesus that he would never betray Him under any circumstances! It would be have been better if Peter had said, “Please tell me how I can keep that from happening”instead of denying that it would.

I was thinking of that scripture this morning as I was driving my grandson to school and put on the soundtrack from the movie “The Passion of Christ”. The music started and it sounded ominous so I glanced at the screen to see which song was playing, it said, “Peter denies Christ”. I listened for a moment then said to my grandson, “That is a sad song about a terrible event isn’t it?” He gave me a sleepy nod of agreement so I continued, “We think that Peter did a terrible thing when he denied Jesus, TO THIS FACE!” Another small nod, then I told him something that finally got his attention, “Why is it we think that Peter’s denial of Jesus to His face was so bad when we do it every day? People act as if because they can’t see God, He isn’t there to see them and what they do, so they break the commandments and the law of love which says to ‘Love your neighbor as good as you do yourself’. How many people do you know that love everyone as much as they do themselves? “

As I drove on a few more minutes nearing his school, I said, as much to myself as to him, “I may write about that on my blog today.” As he exited the car he leaned back in and said, “That’s a good idea Mammy, I love you.”

Don’t criticize Peter until you can go even a say without denying Christ in your own life.

I think that was a ride to remember as Peter’s Lament became my own theme for the day.