Thursday, April 5, 2012

Peter's Denial

John 18:15-27

When I think of Peter, I think of a chameleon. Chameleons change their appearance to match their background, to blend into their surroundings. That’s what Peter is trying to do in this courtyard, but Peter had a problem - he couldn’t blend in, he stuck out. He was a Galilean, so he looked different, talked different, probably acted different. Sort of like if someone heard me say, “Sorry”. They would say, “You’re not from here, are you?” As much as I’ve tried, I just can’t say sorry like people in the East - I was born in Wisconsin.

Like Peter, we can be chameleons. When I was growing up I was one thing to my friends, one thing to my parents, one thing to my church, and pretty soon I didn’t know who I was. That’s Peter’s problem. Just when Jesus is revealing himself and who he is, Peter is concealing himself. So when Peter is asked, “Who are you? Aren’t you a disciple?”, he can’t answer the question.

Maybe Peter is afraid of being caught and turned over to the authorities. But that’s not really likely. After all, he’s talking to servants and girls. What are they going to do, and with what power? It’s more likely that he feared who Jesus was. He saw his Savior, weak, suffering, in pain, and probably wondered, “Was this who I was supposed to identify with?”

Just like Peter the disciple, what we disciples fear the most is not getting caught, but taking on Jesus’ way of living. We are afraid of what Jesus will ask of us. Deep down we want to avoid the kind of following Jesus is asking - a following that will involve suffering.

This story ends with a very important character - the rooster. The rooster brought Peter back to attention. I imagine that Peter heard it and at that moment saw what he had become, and felt the guilt of his denial.  Maybe that rooster helped him answer the question - are you a disciple?

We need a rooster, something, or more likely someone, to draw us to the attention of who we really are, to honestly reveal and remind us that we are followers of Jesus. So often I have run from that, but more and more I’m learning to seek the counsel of trusted others who will honestly tell me if what I do and say matches up to what Jesus is calling me to.

So as we walk through this week, are we willing to stop concealing and start revealing the truth about ourselves? Are we willing to answer the question, “Who are you?  Are you one of his disciples?" -  Jodi Koeman

Lord, help us to stop concealing and start revealing the truth about ourselves. Give us strength and courage so that when we are asked, "Are you his disciple," we can answer proudly and confidently: "Yes, Yes, Yes.”- Amen








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