October 16, 2023
Failing At The Door
“Then the slave-girl who kept the door said to Peter, ‘You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ Now the slaves and the officers were standing there, having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself. The high priest then questioned Jesus about His disciples, and about His teaching.” John 18:17-19 (NASB)
It is easy to get caught up in the crowd. If the crowd goes one way, it is easy to take the path of least resistance. It doesn’t take any effort either. Christians and the lost do it every day. I remember a friend of mine years ago, saying he hesitated in singing some of the lyrics to songs like, “I Surrender All,” or “Wherever He Leads I Will Go.” He said there were times when he felt he couldn’t lie to the Lord about his actions. He would try to do the right thing each time while trusting God, but he knew he wasn’t perfect. He said, “I sometimes say, ‘I surrender some,’ or ‘Wherever He leads I’ll try to go.’” He is right though. We never know how we will react to a situation until it comes. Peter thought he would stand true no matter what, but the reality was he failed in his time of trial just as Jesus predicted.
“Then the slave-girl who kept the door said to Peter, ‘You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?’” As Peter entered the priest’s hall, he would soon figure out this was not the place he wanted to be. Previously, he told Jesus he would be willing to die for Him (Matt. 26:35, John 13:37). As he entered the priest’s hall, he stumbled from the very beginning. His previous boasting as a champion for Christ suddenly failed him. It came from the voice of a maid of the door. He cowered at “... ‘one of the maids of the high priest,’ says Mark (Mark 14:66). ‘When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him and said’ (Mark 14:67). Luke is more graphic (Luke 22:56)—She ‘beheld him as he sat by the fire (literally, ‘the light’), and earnestly looked on him (fixed her gaze upon him), and said.’ ‘His demeanor and timidity, which must have vividly showed themselves, as it so generally happens, leading to the recognition of him’ [Olshausen].”[1] In all his previous bravery, Peter found his words failing miserably at his words to a slave girl. “He said, ‘I am not.’” It is interesting how Jesus stated “I AM” to those who heard His words. Now, Peter’s response is a denial of the same words, but denying the One whom he said he would defend. “Mark, the reporter of Peter’s own preaching, aggravates throughout the heinousness of Peter’s fall, adding, ‘He denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest.’ His position was sufficiently taken, and he thought to have established for himself a perfect incognito.”[2] “Having followed too far behind, he now joined a group of the Lord’s enemies. Leon Morris puts it well: “This was the last place where one might expect to find one of Jesus’ followers” (Morris, p. 759).”[3]
None of us know what we will do, react, or say under dire circumstances. We hope to be brave and valiant when it comes, but I have seen the biggest guys cower to something less when does. We should recognize it is possible for us too. Jesus knew Peter’s failure when he was tried near a warming fire on a cool evening, and he wasn’t even in the trying fire yet!
[1] Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 162). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[2] Spence-Jones, H. D. M., ed. (1909). St. John (Vol. 2, p. 386). Funk & Wagnalls Company.
[3] Gangel, K. O. (2000). John (Vol. 4, p. 333). Broadman & Holman Publishers.