#1322 Matthew 26: 69-75 Are You Cool

 

69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” 71 And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” 73 After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” 74 Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly. Matthew 26: 69-75 ESV

Matthew 26: 69-75 Peter's Denial

…11Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall. 13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it.… 1 Corinthians 10: 11-13

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard - This is the same Peter, who prior to this moment, rejected Christ's prophesy to the disciples that they would all bolt because of Him and that Peter would deny Him. He saw Jesus tell the waves and the wind to stop, and he acknowledged that Christ held the words of life. Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father but by Me." The Word incarnate, the very embodiment of Truth stood before Peter and told him, this is what you will do, and Peter vehemently refused to accept this. In the garden He warned the disciples that they needed to pray, but Peter was confident in his own resolve, and so he slept. "I already told You, God, that I am not going to deny You, so I don't need to pray." He was on a high, imagine 3 years with the Son of God as your teacher, watching Him perform miracle after miracle, even telling men and women what was going on in their hearts, but he wouldn't believe Jesus that he was weak, that his resolve wasn't enough. Peter, like all of us, had an unrealistic sense of self, he was an egotist like me, hard headed, sure of what he knew and what he thought he would do. But here he is already physically distancing himself, and many of have come forward to bear false witness, yet tragically no one comes to Jesus' aid, no one speaks up for Him, He is truly alone in this. Peter thinks he is tough, a man's man, someone who doesn't take crap from anyone, and remember, he said he could stand alone, that if everyone else fell away he wouldn't. He has always been the rooster in the yard, crowing the loudest, and before he weighs his thoughts.   

…33Peter said to Him, “Even if all fall away on account of You, I never will.” 34“Truly I tell you,” Jesus declared, “ this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 35Peter replied, “Even if I have to die with You, I will never deny You.” And all the other disciples said the same thing.… Matthew 26: 33-35

You also were with Jesus the Galilean - Peter is identified in the courtyard, and here is his chance to prove God wrong. What were Jesus' earlier words? This is cause to tremble.

32Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in heaven. 33But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven. 34Do not assume that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.… Matthew 10: 32-34

I do not know what you mean - Poor guy was just trying to blend in with the crowd, and he most certainly didn't want to be called out. I give Peter credit that he is even this close since everyone else has seemed to vanish. Peter receives the ire of many a reader of this passage, but I ask you, where are the others in this scene? Peter is the only one close enough to receive this temptation, and I must ask myself, what would I have done, what have I done? 

Again, he denied it with an oath - The second servant girl doesn't just tell him, she says, "this man", so she is saying this to others. Now Peter is being outed and so he swears, "I swear, I don't know the Man." Now he really sounds like a fisherman. "Damnit, it was a ten pounder", but we all know that you don't own a scale, and looking at the picture it's what an honest person would estimate as a 5, maybe 6 pounder. 

Your accent betrays you - It would be awesome if both our words and our lives betrayed us to this world, that men could tell even in the worst of circumstances that this one belongs to Jesus. Accents are a familiar thing, and when I lived in the mountains the people there would call me "England", and I would tell them, "I'm not from there, I've never lived there, I was born in Charleston, S. C. and lived most of my life in Florida." They didn't think I sounded southern enough so they then called me, "California".  Up there in the corner of N.E. Georgia, W. North Carolina, and N.W. corner of S. C. they definitely sounded southern country, but there was a group of people north of there that had an even thicker accent which made them all sound like auctioneers when they talked. My wife's family is from Boston and some of my coworkers are from New York, Wisconsin, and even though everyone lives in the U.S., they all have different accents or dialects. Galilee was apparently very distinguishable, and the more he talked and swore the more apparent it became.

 “The Galileans spoke with a burr; so ugly was their accent that no Galilean was allowed to pronounce the benediction at a synagogue service.” (Barclay)

Invoke a curse on himself - "Damnit, I swear I don't know Him, and may lightning strike me dead if I am lying to you." Even more fervent than his earlier pledge of allegiance in the garden is his denial. He is spiraling now, his anxiety is at a peak, he's is aware of many eyes and ears upon him, but he has drifted into a very frantic survival mode. He is the cornered animal, hissing, growling, bearing his teeth, like the hognose snake pretending to be the pygmy rattler that he is not, like Caiaphas tearing his robes in order to sell his accusation. Peter had to look back on this years later and understand why it is best to be slow to speak, why it is best not to be ruled by emotions. We can't let the moment decide for us, we can't blame everything on our circumstances, for they only reveal the truth about us, and it can be humbling or damning. 

31Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. 32But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” 33“Lord,” said Peter, “I am ready to go with You even to prison and to death.”… Luke 22: 31-33

And immediately the rooster crowed - Jesus saw this and told Peter before hand, and it causes it to sink in, but in Luke we also see that Jesus prayed that his faith would not fail, that this would not be a permanent falling away, but would rather lead Peter to repentance. Jesus also predicts Peter's return in Luke 22:32 pasted above. 

And he went out and wept bitterly - This broke Peter, and this is the call of repentance for everyone, that we be broken, no longer trusting in our own resolve or merit. It is the Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted. Human strength and will is inadequate. Jesus had prewarned him and prayed for him lest he be tempted to remain in despair, to not seek God's forgiveness or become suicidal. 

…16For You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You take no pleasure in burnt offerings. 17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. 18In Your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.… Psalm 51: 16-18

…60“Man, I do not know what you are talking about,” Peter replied. While he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word that the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.” 62And he went outside and wept bitterly.… Luke 22: 60-62

"What makes the sinner repent - listen - is not to see your sin, but to see your Savior. Judas looked in Jesus' eyes, kissed Him and went to hell. Peter looked in Jesus' eyes, was crushed in tears. Peter loved his Lord, he saw Him with eyes of faith and trust and love. Peter loved the Lord." - J Mac