Step 45

Mark 14:66-72 Hypocrites and Humans

About Mark: Peter's denial of Jesus is an important part of Mark's story, and perhaps also of Mark's life. As noted earlier, it is commonly believed that Mark himself was the "certain young man" (51) who under duress "ran off naked" (52), just as "all of them deserted him and fled" (50), as Jesus had predicted (27). If Mark felt he too had deserted Jesus, then Peter's experience had lessons for him too.
 
Bible: Mark 14:66-72, Peter Denies Jesus

66 While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came by. 67 When she saw Peter warming himself, she stared at him and said, "You also were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth." 68 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. 69 And the servant-girl, on seeing him, began again to say to the bystanders, "This man is one of them." 70 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." 71 But he began to curse, and he swore an oath, "I do not know this man you are talking about." 72 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.

Comment: OF HYPOCRITES AND HUMANS
JESUS ACKNOWLEDGES that the flesh is weak (38), and we certainly let ourselves and our Lord down more readily when exhausted, overtired and cold (as they were), or sick. But Peter's heart and feet still follow Jesus into the courtyard, not expecting or ready for the challenges he is about to face. Temptations have a habit of striking us at our weakest, and of escalating from an evasion to an unimportant servant girl into a renunciation with an oath to the public at large.
 
In the event, Peter is overtaken by the convergence of fear, uncertainty, confusion, repeated attack, and even dilemma; for Peter may have felt that the future of the Messianic mission depended upon his own survival and self-preservation.
 
All of this is in contrast with the hypocrisy of Judas, whose spirit was not willing. Unlike Peter, who was caught unawares in circumstances out of his control, Judas' betrayal is premeditated and callous (14:10). His discipleship had been a deceit all along, as Mark has warned us (3:19) and John's Gospel documents (6:71, 12:4, 13:2, 29, 18:2, 5). Judas' betrayal was part of a trend. The trend of Peter's life was quite different; his denial quite out of character with the trend. Taken with what Mark has told us of Peter, his denial is a sad stumbling of weak flesh on a pathway of willing discipleship. And when it dawns on him, he is bathed in tears of remorse (72), proof that we have read it rightly.  

Discipleship today: Real Christians are honestly human, after all! The prominence that Mark has given throughout to Peter, to his extroverted boasts of loyalty, and now to his denials of Jesus, all assure us that Mark intends the story of Christian discipleship to take full account of our human frailties, which are no bar to following and serving Christ.
 
Christ's understanding of Peter accords with the gentleness he has shown to others, and which you may count upon yourself in your path of discipleship. True tears of remorse show Peter's true acknowledgement of failure, on which a renewal of loyalty is founded.

Contrary to earlier brash assumptions of what he would do, Peter has now faced the reality of his frailty, and of Christ's love nonetheless, and is much better fitted for a remaining lifetime of loyal service, real, committed, humble, and gentle also towards others, even if not perfectly.