Lent 2025 Day 31: Wed 9 Apr
Matthew 26:31-35, 69-75
Jesus predicts Peter’s denial
31 Then Jesus told them, ‘This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:
‘“I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.”
32 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.’
33 Peter replied, ‘Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.’ 34 ‘Truly I tell you,’ Jesus answered, ‘this very night, before the cock crows, you will disown me three times.’ 35 But Peter declared, ‘Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.’ And all the other disciples said the same.
Peter disowns Jesus
69 Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant-girl came to him. ‘You also were with Jesus of Galilee,’ she said. 70 But he denied it before them all. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ he said.
71 Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant-girl saw him and said to the people there, ‘This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.’ 72 He denied it again, with an oath: ‘I don’t know the man!’
73 After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, ‘Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.’ 74 Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, ‘I don’t know the man!
Immediately a cock crowed. 75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: ‘Before the cock crows, you will disown me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly.
If you ever need proof that God has a sense of irony, you need not look anywhere further than Simon Peter: throughout the Gospels he is always the one who gets things slightly wrong, or misses the point, today’s reading being proof of how his confidence is once again completely misplaced.
Yet there is more to it than this, I find. Peter is also one who has a great faith, though not yet perfect: he was willing to try walking on water, he trusts Jesus enough to ask the things everyone else is secretly thinking, and today we find him trusting that he needs nothing other than Christ to be kept for falling. If it weren’t for what happens next, today’s reading would be a shining example to all Christians: the confidence that with Jesus on our side we can do all things, because we have a power that goes beyond ourselves. Even so, this is an important teaching point: we believe, but our unbelief always needs a little bit of extra help (Mark 9:24).
There is an old and oft-forgotten Christian teaching that says we are constantly growing towards perfection by following Christ, edging ever closer to the full image of God we were meant to be. As we are always maturing, it should come to no surprise that there will be growing pains, and sometimes our spirit might outrun our humanity (Matthew 26:41).
So here’s the good example of Peter restored to its proper place: be brave in Christ to the point of slight daftness, and be stubborn enough to get back up when you inevitably fall!
Lord, keep us humble as we listen to your words, even when we think we know better, but make us also stubborn as we cling to You.
2:05:03 Ja freilich (Arioso)
56. Recitative B (Chorus I)
Yes, willingly are flesh and blood
compelled to the Cross;
The better it is for our souls,
the bitterer it feels.
57. Aria B (Chorus I)
Come, sweet Cross, this I want to say:
My Jesus, give it always to me!
If my suffering becomes too heavy one day,
you yourself will help me bear it.
58a. Evangelist And when they had come to the place named Golgotha, which is translated the Place of the Skull, they gave him vinegar to drink mixed with gall; and when he tasted it, he would not drink it. When they had crucified him, however, they divided up his clothing and tossed lots over them, so that what was spoken through the Prophets was fulfilled: “They have divided my clothing among them, and over my robe they have cast lots.” And they sat around and kept watch. And over his head they lifted up a written sentence of death, namely: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” And there were two murderers crucified with him, one to his left and one to his right. But those who passed by cursed at him and shook their heads, saying:
Ends at 2:13:26
Paul