Peter Fails and We Can Relate

John 18:15-18, 25-27

¹⁵Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, ¹⁶but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. ¹⁷The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” ¹⁸Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself. ²⁵Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” ²⁶One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” ²⁷Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.

As the story of Jesus Passion unrolls we find Judas and Peter on the same side of the story. They have both betrayed their Lord. Judas turns Him into the temple authorities and Peter denies even knowing Jesus as he stands in the courtyard watching the trial proceedings. Even though both men seem to deny Jesus, I would suggest that there are two different motivations for the sin. For Judas it was a willful sin, committed out of the desire for money and power. For Peter is was a sin of weakness, committed at a time of great fear, and fear is the thief of God’s peace and joy. In these two men we find the bottom line instigators for all sin – weakness or will. We will watch the story unfold as Peter finds redemption with Jesus and Judas finds death as he commits suicide.

The comparisons between Judas and Peter have been made repeatedly throughout the centuries. For me those two words – willful and weakness – loom large in my mind. I know that daily sin crouches at my door and I can either follow it or deny it. But even that sin comes in two categories; those sins I actively entertain and those sin I just embrace due to fear, despair, or ignorance. Judas actively entertained his sin. Peter just fell into it.

At the end of the day, all sin is sin and it removes us from God’s presence. Jesus didn’t draw any categorical lines. He died for it all and grants forgiveness for it all. But as we navigate our daily lives, perhaps we can pay some attention the mental gymnastics that go along with our decisions. Frankly, sometimes I actively choose sin. A bad idea will be born, and I will entertain it and scheme around it. As I look back, these are my greatest failures and still have the power to make me sorrowful today.

Sometimes events unfold quickly, and I just mess up. I will say, I believe that the willful sins carry more danger for me because I’m more actively involved in the pursuit of evil. The long-term spiritual consequences of that can be drastic. But this whole Passion story is carried out by Jesus just because of my sinful heart. Jesus knew of the interior battles we all face. He knew that sin stalks all of us and because of that sin He had to die in order to pay the price for our redemption from it. I am grateful every day for His grace-filled sacrifice. When sin entraps me and I sin out of weakness, He forgives. And even when I sin willfully, He forgives me.