Facing Truth

“Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly”
(Luke 22:60-62)

Reflection:
Here is Peter again in all his stricken humanity. Finding out that he is not who he thought he was or who he wanted to be. We need to remember though that it was his great heart that had brought him, alone of all the disciples, into that dangerous courtyard where he could sit and watch his Lord.

Just a few hours before he had spoken impulsively, only to be told by Jesus that it was not the truth,

“Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”  (Luke 22:33-34)

Now Jesus words were proved to be true. And in that heart-breaking moment when Jesus turned and looked at him Peter broke down.

How many of us have had grand dreams about ourselves – only to find that they did not come true. How many of us could also lament with Paul,

• “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (Romans 7:15)
• “For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do–this I keep on doing” (Romans 7:19)

How any of us have dreamed a dream, only to lament in the words of the song,

“Now life has killed the dream I dreamed”

But thank God that the story does not end here.  Peter did not go the way of Lazerus. He did not go away into the black hell of lonely isolation. He waited. And then, just over the hill of Calvary, a new light appeared in his life. The risen Christ sought him and found him, loved him, forgave him and restored him.  Jesus put a new spirit into him, His own Spirit. And Peter went on to live a new life, a fruitful live and a fulfilling life beyond anything that he would ever have imagined as he sat counting fish.

With Jesus new life is always just over the hill. He will meet us there and lead us onwards in His love. For He alone is the Way, the Truth and the Life – and there is no other.

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(Picture: Robert Leinweber)