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Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant-girl came to him and said, "You also were with Jesus the Galilean." But he denied it before all of them, saying, "I do not know what you are talking about." When he went out to the porch, another servant-girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, "This man was with Jesus of Nazareth." Again he denied it with an oath, "I do not know the man." After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, "Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you." Then he began to curse, and he swore an oath, "I do not know the man!" At that moment the cock crowed. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: "Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times." And he went out and wept bitterly.
-- Matthew 26:69-75

While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she stared at him and said, "You also were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth." But he denied it, saying, "I do not know or understand what you are talking about." And he went out into the forecourt. Then the cock crowed. And the servant-girl, on seeing him, began again to say to the bystanders, "This man is one of them." But again he denied it. Then after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, "Certainly you are one of them; for you are a Galilean." But he began to curse, and he swore an oath, "I do not know this man you are talking about." At that moment the cock crowed for the second time. Then Peter remembered that Jesus had said to him, "Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times." And he broke down and wept.
-- Mark 14:66-72

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.
-- Luke 22:54-62

Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, but Peter was standing outside at the gate. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the woman who guarded the gate, and brought Peter in. The woman said to Peter, "You are not also one of this man's disciples, are you?" He said, "I am not." Now the slaves and the police had made a charcoal fire because it was cold, and they were standing around it and warming themselves. Peter also was standing with them and warming himself.

They asked him, "You are not also one of his disciples, are you?" He denied it and said, "I am not." One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, "Did I not see you in the garden with him?" Again Peter denied it, and at that moment the cock crowed.
-- John 18:15-18, 25b-27

They shall all know me ... says the Lord; for I will
forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.
-- Jeremiah 31:34b

The shadow of a man called Peter stretches out over our lives and shows us how to become more alive with forgiveness.

There are sudden twists and turns in life that cause us to change directions and experience new life. It's an old story that has been making its rounds that tells us about a thief who checked out a certain home for the purpose of robbing it. One night when he knew the owner and family were gone he found an unlocked window. Carefully he opened the window and climbed up over the sill and then let himself down into a room. When his eyes became accustomed to the darkness he found himself staring into the eyes of a Doberman pinscher. The thief froze and waited but nothing happened. Then he was stunned to see a parrot sitting on the head of the dog. He continued to wait but nothing happened. Finally he decided he would go ahead about his business. Taking a cloth sack that had been tucked into his belt he walked into the next room and found some valuable sterling silver that he placed within the sack. The dog followed and the parrot squawked, "You're going to get caught! You're going to get caught!" The thief froze again but nothing happened so he went on through the house finding an expensive vase and some precious jewelry. All the time the dog followed with the parrot squawking in each room, "You're going to get caught!" Finally the thief was so upset at the parrot that he yelled out, "Can't you say anything else you stupid bird?!" Suddenly the parrot squawked, "Sic-em!"

What a sudden turn of events must have followed full of crashing and chaos. And our lives can take such sudden turns that it almost takes our breath away. This was true for the apostle Simon Peter whose great shadow stretches across the centuries and rests upon our lives today. Peter became such a dynamic leader and influence on the age in which he lived and, yes, upon our lives today so that to live under his shadow is to become more alive than ever. So let us together take a closer look.

The Big Fisherman
Simon Peter, known as the big fisherman, was strong and rugged from the pull of the nets and the wind and the waves of the Sea of Galilee. He knew about the fierce storms that would occur suddenly from the swirling winds that would sweep down through the narrow valleys of the rugged hills around the lake. When he was confronted by Jesus and called to be one of his disciples, Simon quickly made the decision to follow and was helped in the process through the encouragement of his brother Andrew. Big, bold, and brash, Peter soon assumed the leadership of the disciples and along with another set of brothers that we know as James and John became a part of an inner circle that was very close to Jesus.

There are three dramatic episodes in the gospels that show this closeness of the inner circle in their relationship to Jesus. One day on the streets of Capernaum, the leader of the local synagogue, a man by the name of Jairus, came running up to Jesus and gasped out the words, "Please come quickly to my home for my daughter is close to death." When Jesus and the crowds approached the home you could hear the shrieking of the mourners announcing the death of the little girl. Jesus then went with only Peter, James, and John along with the weeping parents into the home and came to the little girl and caused her spirit to return so that she lived again!

It was Peter, James, and John who were with Jesus at the time of his transfiguration on the mountainside when the face of Jesus shone as the sun and he was changed into his heavenly glory. Moses and Elijah were seen talking with Jesus and strengthening and encouraging him for his approaching struggles and death in the valley below. In the midst of it all, the voice of God the Father, like thunder itself, was heard proclaiming: "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!" (Matthew 17:5). Peter himself would say later in his ministry, "For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty" (2 Peter 1:16 emphasis mine).

Finally it was Peter, James, and John who were with Jesus on the night when he was captured and brought to trial before the Sanhedrin, the governing body of the Jews. After Jesus had spent some time with his disciples in the upper room in Jerusalem and ate with them the Passover meal, they sang a hymn together and then proceeded down into the Kidron Valley and up the slopes of the Mount of Olives to the Garden of Gethsemane. Knowing that death was near, Jesus took Peter, James, and John further with him into the Garden and asked them to watch with him while he wrestled and struggled in prayer. But it was very late and they drifted off to sleep. Three times Jesus came and awakened them and finally he said, "Could you not stay awake with me one hour?" (Matthew 26:40). At that point, the soldiers and priests came and captured Jesus and most of the disciples fled in great fear.

What happens next is difficult to believe and it is an event that has caused some to question the veracity of Peter's faith and to move away from his great shadow. If we look carefully, we discover that this is a universal experience of such truth and power that none of us can ever remain the same.

You will remember that when Jesus and his disciples left the upper room to go to the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus sighed and said, "You will all become deserters." The answer of Peter is significant and recorded in all the gospels. But since the gospel of Mark is based on the preaching of Peter we hear his answer and the response of Jesus from that record: "Peter said to him, 'Even though all become deserters, I will not.' Jesus said to him, 'Truly, I say to you this day, this very night, before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.' But he said vehemently, 'Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.' And all of them said the same" (Mark 14:29-31). Surely these words and this assurance of Peter to Jesus were not lightly given. Peter spoke them with all of his heart and spirit!

Broken Promises
Have you ever made a promise with all your heart and mind and were absolutely convinced that you would never go back on your word? We, too, can make such promises to our children and to those whom we love only to have such promises challenged and overcome by what happens in the sometimes unbelievable twists of life.

I certainly discovered the truth of going back on one's word as a young boy. For a time in my life my sister and I were raised by a very strict grandmother. And to this day, I thank God that I was nourished and protected and loved by her after the death of my mom from tuberculosis. We lived in a small town on the rolling prairies of North Dakota in a huge, old home surrounded by a white picket fence with a great grove of cottonwood trees in the back. In the dining room was a large protruding bay window that let in so much light that the room was full of cheerfulness and joy. My sister and I wanted to go outside and play a game that was termed "bat the ball in the air and catch it as soon as you can." There were points that were given on a descending scale depending on whether you caught the ball on the fly, on one bounce, or two. My grandmother made us promise that we would stay away from the house and especially the big bay window. After all, there was an empty lot right across the street where we could play.

When we went outside, other kids were playing in the lot so I said to my sister, "Let's just play here by the house and I'll really be careful and hit away from the house and the bay window." I assured my sister I would watch out for the big bay window, after all, we had made a promise. This worked for a while but suddenly I cut under the ball with the bat and it went behind me -- crash! -- and smashed right through the bay window. Both of us ran and hid behind an old storage shed. Yes, we had broken our promises and now had to face the music for our actions. To make a long story short, we finally went back into the house with tears running down our cheeks only to discover to our amazement a loving and forgiving grandmother who made us understand what the old saying, "A promise made is a promise kept" really meant. Although broken promises are such a part of our lives, there is a marvelous life-giving force that lifts our spirits and gives us a new start. We call it forgiveness.

We return to the story of the man called Peter who had promised he would not run away but would give up his very life to protect Jesus if he had to. How could this loyal disciple and leader of them all deny ever knowing Jesus? Certainly Peter at times has been maligned and ridiculed as being a weak disciple full of bluster and promises that he could not keep. Yet what happened to Peter could only have happened to someone who possessed tremendous courage. All of the other disciples ran away when Jesus was captured except for Peter and John. They followed him at a distance all the way to the home of the high priest. For them to enter into the courtyard of the high priest's home was like entering into the lion's den. When Peter was confronted by the servant-girl who recognized him as one of the prominent followers of Jesus, you would think that Peter would have fled for his life. Surely there were two emotions in the heart of Peter. On the one hand there was the great fear of danger and death and on the other his all-consuming love for Jesus. Something else gave Peter away when surrounded by the soldiers and servants in the courtyard and that was his accent, for Peter was a Galilean and these people were known for the tough kind of brogue in their speech. It was such an ugly kind of accent that no Galilean was allowed to pronounce the benediction at a worship service in the synagogue!1

When Peter denied Jesus the third time it was then that he heard the cock crow. William Barclay reminds us that this probably could not have been the sound of a bird. The home of the high priest was in the center of Jerusalem where according to Jewish law no cocks and hens were to be allowed in the city. At 3 a.m., which was the beginning of the fourth watch of the night, there was the changing of the guard at the Fortress of Antonio and everyone was alerted because there would be heard the sound of the trumpet known as the "cock-crow."2

We are indebted to the gospel of Luke for adding another aspect to the historical account. At the time of the "cock-crow," a door opened and Jesus was led out by the soldiers and we are told that Jesus turned and looked at Peter. One can imagine Peter speaking of his denial and saying, "In that look there was pain but no indignation. There was disappointment, but there was also forgiveness and love. That look was like a mirror in which I saw myself as I really was -- a coward and a traitor. But it was also a window through which I saw the loving heart of this Jesus. Even though I was strong I went out and wept bitterly. Yes, the world knows of my failure and denial, but it also knows of my remorse and repentance."3 No wonder James Montgomery, the great hymn writer, wrote the words we love to sing:



In the hour of trial, Jesus, plead for me,
Lest by base denial I depart from thee.
When thou seest me waver, with a look recall;
Nor from fear or favor suffer me to fall.4

Now we raise the question: "How did Peter really know that he was forgiven?" When he went out and wept bitterly he must have been alone. By 3:00 the next afternoon Jesus had been crucified and had died on the cross. And by 6 p.m. on that Friday when the Jewish sabbath began, Jesus had been buried in a cave located in a garden belonging to Joseph of Arimathea. Yes, Jesus was buried and gone. On the Sunday following, there came a knocking on the door and Peter and John were told by the women that the great stone that covered the grave cave of Jesus was rolled away and the body of Jesus was gone. We are told that Peter and John raced for the tomb and John being younger got there first and stood on the outside peering into the tomb. But big and bold Peter brushed by John and entered the tomb. And when their eyes became accustomed to the gloom they saw the grave cloths of Jesus still laying in their folds and the napkin that had been around his head had been taken off, carefully folded, and laid to the side. They saw and wondered if perhaps Jesus was alive! (John 20:1-8).

Assurance Of Acceptance And Forgiveness
In this state of wonder, sorrow, and fear, how did Peter come to know that he was forgiven and accepted again? What empowered him to become such a great leader that his shadow rests upon us all? Surely he must have remembered the teachings of Jesus. One day Peter wondered how much he should forgive someone knowing the forgiving nature of Jesus. He knew that the Jewish law stated that one should forgive his brother and neighbor no more than three times. So Peter decided to double the number and add another for good measure. When Peter came to Jesus he asked, "How many times should one forgive another? Is seven times enough?" I'm sure he probably felt pretty smug about saying seven times, and I'm sure he was blown away by the answer of Jesus. "Not seven times, but I tell you, seventy-seven times" (Matthew 18:22). Some translations say, "seventy times seven." In other words, there should be no end to forgiveness.

Once for a children's sermon I asked my daughter to make me some posters so that I could illustrate this message. These were three huge pieces of poster board. One had three colored circle stickers. Another had seven and the third had 490 of them. She must have spent the better part of an afternoon putting them together. You could hardly believe how colorful a poster board with 490 colored circle stickers representing forgiveness looked!

The gospel of John tells us that as time went on after the resurrection the disciples grew more and more restless. Finally some of them decided it was time to go fishing and so they journeyed northward to the Sea of Galilee. How good it was for them to feel the wind and the waves and the pull of the nets. They fished all through the night and caught nothing. In the wee hours of the morning as the mist began to rise along the shore, they saw the figure of a man standing there only about 100 yards away. The man cried out to them, "Have you caught any fish?" When they shouted out that they had caught nothing the man on the shore shouted back, "Let your nets down on the other side of the boat." When they did, the nets enclosed a huge school of fish. It was then that Peter recognized Jesus and leaped into the water and waded ashore.

When all had gathered on the shore, they noticed Jesus had made a breakfast of fish and bread for them. Then when all were standing there in awe Jesus began to ask Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" In fact, Jesus asked Peter the question three times in a row. Each time Peter said, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you!" To this answer of Peter Jesus said, "Feed my lambs. Tend my sheep. Feed my sheep." In that moment Peter knew that Jesus was reminding him of his threefold denial, but not only that, Peter just knew that he was forgiven, accepted, and empowered by the forgiveness of our God that cannot be measured and knows no end (John 21:1-18).

My friends who read this, I want you to know that to walk in the shadow of Peter is to walk in the shadow of forgiveness and to be more alive than ever. Still, there are times in which it is difficult to receive forgiveness and difficult to forgive someone who has wronged you.

In one of the parishes where I served as a pastor, there were several families who farmed the land and who were strong supporters of the congregation and its mission. Two of these farm families were great friends and always sat together in worship and served in many ways. Their farms were even adjacent to each other. But one day, the two farmers got into a huge dispute over the ownership of some land that was next to both of their farms. This resulted in much ill feeling and there was so much anger between them that they began to give each other the silent treatment. Much to the chagrin of the wives and the children, the two farmers began to avoid each other at all costs. When they came to church they would sit at opposite corners and when it was their turn to usher they made sure they served on different sides. On a communion Sunday, they made sure that they came up to the altar at different tables.

One Sunday when I came to church I caught my breath because I noticed there was a mistake in the scheduling of the ushers. Both of these farmers were to usher on a communion Sunday, which meant that at the time of the distribution both of these farmers would have to walk together down the center aisle, stand there and receive registration cards, and give assistance and directions to the visitors. Needless to say, I was nervous in the worship service and kept praying that the presence of the Spirit would help to keep everything peaceful. When it came time for the communion to be served, both farmers came down the center aisle like stiff soldiers looking only straight ahead with very grim expressions. As the people came forward they would smile and greet these ushers. Some even shook their hands and patted them on the back. All of a sudden, I noticed that one of the farmers whispered to the other and there was a nodding of their heads.

In our communion service when all had received the sacrament, then those who had assisted and served were to kneel at the altar rail and receive the bread and wine. Something incredible happened. The two farmers knelt together and received and when they stood up after the blessing they turned to each other and smiled. Then in front of the entire congregation they hugged each other and there was not a dry eye in the whole group. No doubt about it forgiveness, real forgiveness, flowed between them.

During the years of my ministry, I have been asked three great questions concerning forgiveness over and over again. If we are to walk under the great shadow of God's mercy and forgiveness, we need to wrestle with these questions and have some kind of conviction concerning the truths that are found in their answers.

1. Doesn't real forgiveness involve forgetting? If you have been deeply hurt and wronged by another individual it is not possible to forget but it is possible for the hurt to heal over. Trying to pretend that an injury and hurt didn't happen or trying to believe that it doesn't really matter is of course dangerous to our well-being. Repressing a hurtful memory can produce all kinds of problems, even sickness and breakdowns. In the final analysis, I believe that it's not even humanly possible to forget serious injury. "Forgive and forget" is an Old English proverb that dates back to the fourteenth century and it's still not good advice. However, if reconciliation has occurred between two people and it is absolutely genuine over a period of time, the hurting will begin to heal over.

What do the scriptures say to us? For one thing, only God can forgive and forget. How I have loved and committed to memory the words of the psalmist: "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor pay us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him, as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us" (Psalm 103:8, 10, 11-12).

2. Doesn't real forgiveness require the other person who has wronged us to repent? At this point it is important for us to recognize that it is when we feel deep anger or pain that we begin to live in an emotional climate in which we feel we should withhold forgiveness until the one who has hurt us repents. I agree with those counselors who look at this from another angle. If our forgiveness depends upon another person's repentance then we become a victim again. We are letting the other person control our actions. We hand over considerable power to the one who has hurt us. Maybe it would be helpful if we remember our Lord praying from the cross for his enemies, saying, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."

3. Doesn't real forgiveness come about naturally if we wait long enough? I don't know if any forgiveness comes about naturally. Forgiveness comes about by an initial decision of really wanting to forgive. It requires a power beyond us, the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to indwell us to the point that it gives us the ability to want to do it. Such forgiveness comes through wanting to begin the process and then it ends up being the work of God's grace in your life and mine.5

Yes, the shadow of a man called Peter rests upon our lives, a man who knew something about denial and deep hurts as well as the sorrow of knowing that he had hurt the one he loves the most. Living under his shadow is experiencing the forgiveness and love that flowed from our Lord Jesus to and through Peter and also to and through us today. In this shadow of forgiveness we become more alive than ever.

____________

1. William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, vol. 2 (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1957, 1958), p. 382.

2. Ibid, pp. 282-283.

3. This is a quote from the monologue on Simon Peter that I have used for over thirty years and is found at the end of this book. Originally it was from a dialogue with Peter circulated among pastors from an unknown source.

4. From the hymn, "In The Hour Of Trial," words by James Montgomery (1771-1854).

5. This thought comes from a sermon on forgiveness by Dan Solomon in Boone, Iowa.


Reflection And Discussion

Thought Questions

1. What are the ways in which we as Christians can deny Jesus?

2. Does real forgiveness involve forgetting?

3. Doesn't forgiveness require the other person who has wronged us to repent?

4. Doesn't forgiveness come about naturally if we wait long enough?


Agree Or Disagree

* The many differences in the accounts of Peter's denial show that the story is false.

* Peter's denial of Jesus shows a real weakness in his character.

* There is a limit to the number of times we should forgive.

* There are some things that are impossible to forgive.