“Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself. So they asked him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?” He denied it, saying, “I am not.” 26 One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?” 27 Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.” John 18.25-27
A popular Tom Cruise film from a few years ago depicted him as a futuristic solider who was trying to capture the bad guys. Yet he was caught in some type of time trap in which once he was killed in battle, he would return with the knowledge of how he had just died, avoid the death the second time, and move on a little further to accomplishing his goal. He would live, then die, and it would repeat itself dozens of times.
When I think about the disciple Peter’s denial, I think of this movie. I think of the repetition of his sin, however, after his first denial of Christ, he doesn’t learn from his mistake but makes it two more times. If Peter can reject Christ and he knew him personally, was in his presence, what chance do we have?
Actually we have a history book filled with mistake makers. It’s called the Bible! We have a collection of 66 books written over a period of 3500 years, with a central theme of redemption at it’s core. We have generations of people, loving and leaving God, and God repeatedly mending their brokenness and restoring their righteousness.
But let’s return to poor impulsive Peter. (The first Pope of the Roman Catholic Church!) Peter had denied Jesus once and now was standing again by the fire warming himself while Jesus was being questioned, slapped and accused. Then again, they ask if he’s a disciple and he says, “I am not.” And lastly they asked, “Didn’t I see you in the garden?” To which Peter denied Jesus a third time. Live, die, repeat.
It would be easy to look at Peter, shake our head in frustration, mumble something under our breath about him being a weak leader and go on about our day. But we are Peter. We too reject and refuse the Christ. We sin and we shame his name just the same as Peter. Yet it doesn’t always have to be this way. We can learn from the mistakes of Peter. We can learn from Paul who said in Romans 6.1-2, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?”
To live, die and repeat means we live for God, die to sin and repeat this process every moment of every day. Turn to the Lord. Allow him to fill your heart, control your thoughts and guide your steps by his grace and for his glory.
“O Lord God, help me focus upon you. Help me to chase you and to call out your blessings upon my life! Help me be the person you have called me to be. Discipline me in holiness. Hone in my heart to building your Kingdom and glorifying your name. Fill me with the power of your Holy Spirit that I might live for you and bring you praise. For you are good and your love endures forever.” Amen