When God Says …
“Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this man's disciples? He saith, I am not.” (John 18:17 KJV).
Reflecting on this verse hoodwinks us to make judgement upon Apostle Peter. We ought not. Rather, we should learn from the lessons this provides, by using it as a mirror of our own weakness. We should note that this is a critical start of the Lord’s series of farcical interrogation. Apostles Peter and John just witnessed earlier the show of force that took their Master away. And, Peter earned the Lord’s rebuke for his impulsive action to fight with a sword which chipped an ear of the high priest’s servant. Now, he is in the high priest’s domain. So, when asked by the girl watching the gate with a question of affirmation, reigned by fear, Peter caved in and lied. In such a moment of uncertainty, anyone’s courage to stand could be drained.
What’s amazing in this whole scene is that the other disciple, who is Apostle John, was known to the people in this palace. He was the one who instructed the girl, who watched the gate, to let Peter in. It seems that the damsel knew that John himself is a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. So, the question “Art not thou also one of this man's disciples?” that Peter was asked, was just to affirm the known fact that being with John he too must be a disciple of the Lord. This really is a lesson for us to learn from, considering that Apostle Peter lied right in the face of his fellow Apostle John.
This highlights the clear contrast between Apostle John - who recognized and boasted of being the beloved of the Lord Jesus Christ (See John 13:23, 19:26, 20:2, 21:7, 20), and Apostle Peter - who boasted of his love for the Lord (Matthew 26:33; Luke 22:33). Peter’s and our love fails. But, God’s love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8). For - “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10 ESV).
And I say, AMEN!
Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries
When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.
Partners For Christ Ministries, INC
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477
Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.
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