I don’t know this man
He began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.” (Mark 14:71)
The beautiful spring this year has gone far away. It will spring come again when almost ending February next year to come. The summer heat would take away the essence of our body. But in the body it also includes a lot of poisonous matters. Now, let’s find the toxins from one’s own soul through test of faith. Peter had been the most passionate person of Jesus’ disciples. When Jesus foretold own Crucifixion to suffer, Peter shouted clearly this in Mark 14:29, “Even if all fall away, I will not.” And yet, as Jesus prophesied, Peter denied the Lord definitely and he ran away from the crisis.
God gives the changes of seasons in order to make be beneficial to our health. Even though you are fond of winter because of the good snow and ice, if you live only in cold region, your body will be curled up and waste will not be discharged, which can be harmful to your health. Even if you like the water play and scenery of the sea or river, you can exhaust your body and lose your vitality if only summer continues. Therefore, we need to know every change in life and environment are good for the body and it’s beneficial.
Without hardships and changes, a good life cannot be created. That’s an importance why God allowed us to have various changes and experiences. Peter was called directly from Jesus and became a disciple. When he had a special experience of hearing the voice of God the Father on the mountain Tabor of change, Peter was there with John and James together, as in Mark 9:2~13. Moreover when Jesus asked to disciples, “Who do you say I am?” it was Peter who had answered confidently, “God’s Messiah.” in Luke 9:20.
Now it has come a time for the disciples to wrap up their three-year time lived with Jesus. The suffering of the Lord, who will be crucified, faced just before their eyes. There wouldn’t have been only comfortable and enjoyable things for them during the past time of three years. However, the situation just around the corner was a great ordeal not to be compared to the past. Jesus, who had showed authority and power, was captured by His enemies and humiliated by ridicule and whips. So the disciples were afraid and in a hurry to run away. And yet, Peter followed Jesus, who was being taken away, into the courtyard of the high priest’s house and sat among others uneasily. At that time, a female servant of the high priest recognized Peter and pointed out him as a person with Jesus. Entering a dead end, he collapsed so pitiable on the spot. Because Peter denied to know Jesus, “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about.” When the female asked again to Peter, he cursed and swore, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.” Oh, what a sad and poor human figure is!
You might lament like this thinking of Peter, “How could he do that!” And someone might say, “If I were there, I would never do that.” Such sighs or will is certainly desirable things, but hadn’t so done Peter’s behaviors in the past too? The appearances of weakness and cowardice, which rapidly collapses in extreme situations and denies the Lord, would be my own miserable figure. This is our reality of everyone, as a life that has lived buried in sin and cannot stand upright in the face of a crisis of sin. Jesus had known what Peter would do, so he said in advance, “~ before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.”
When Peter heard the crowing of the rooster, he remembered Jesus’ words, so he cried thinking about it. Anybody can never stand completely unless God holds oneself. Even if you try hard, by your ability you alone will not accomplish one’s own righteousness. Looking back, we have lived that kind of life until now. Though we have lived a life that we have no choice but to say, “I don’t know Jesus,” we believe God the Lord renews us with the salvation of love, forgiveness, compassion and mercy.
(Written by Koonoh, Pastor of JDO Presbyterian Church in Korea, on May 30th 2021)