Are you?

This week, we are talking about failure by walking through five scenes in the life of Peter. Yesterday, we heard Jesus’ prediction of Peter’s denial. Today, we hear Peter’s denial.


John 18
15 Simon Peter followed Jesus, as did another of the disciples. That other disciple was acquainted with the high priest, so he was allowed to enter the high priest’s courtyard with Jesus. 16 Peter had to stay outside the gate. Then the disciple who knew the high priest spoke to the woman watching at the gate, and she let Peter in.
17 The woman asked Peter, “You’re not one of that man’s disciples, are you?” “No,” he said, “I am not.”
18 Because it was cold, the household servants and the guards had made a charcoal fire. They stood around it, warming themselves, and Peter stood with them, warming himself.

25 Meanwhile, as Simon Peter was standing by the fire warming himself, they asked him again, “You’re not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it, saying, “No, I am not.”
26 But one of the household slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Didn’t I see you out there in the olive grove with Jesus?”
27 Again Peter denied it. And immediately a rooster crowed.


Are you? There are some days that I read part of God’s story and I don’t feel any hope. I am only reminded of the moments when I, like Peter, failed to demonstrate that I was a Jesus follower ... moments when I could have expressed kindness instead of selfishness, grace instead of judgment, peace instead of anger, patience instead of frustration, faith instead of fear. Thankfully, Jesus doesn’t leave us in those moments of denial; but we will have to wait until tomorrow to relive that hope. For now, my prayer is that this reminder will continue to cultivate the humility my heart needs to become a more passionate Jesus follower.