LESSON XXXVI.
PETER’S DENIAL.
Matthew, xxvi. 57 to end.
The wicked proud men, who hated Jesus, had sat up all night. They had sent their servants with some soldiers to fetch Jesus. They were in a fine house seated on seats round the room, talking together, and longing for Jesus to be brought.
They said one to another, We will have him killed when he comes—we will take him to the judge.
At last Jesus came in with the wicked servants. The proud men were glad to see him. They made him stand up in the midst of the large room. Then they spoke roughly. Are you the Son of God? they said.
And Jesus said, Yes, I am; and one day you will see me coming in the clouds with the angels.
Then the wicked men were angry.
Do you hear what he says? they cried out. He calls himself the Son of God! He must be taken to the judge to be killed.
Jesus stood meekly all this while, and hardly spoke a word.
What was become of his disciples? They had run away.
Had Peter run away? Peter said he would die with Jesus. But he ran away too.
At last Peter thought, I will go and look for Jesus; I should like to see what the wicked men are doing to him.
So Peter came to Jerusalem, and into the fine house. He came into the hall first: the wicked servants were sitting round a fire in the hall; a door was open, and through the door Peter could see Jesus. There he was, standing before the wicked men. Peter hoped that nobody would know that he was one of Jesus’ disciples, lest he should be killed. But as Peter was sitting by the fire, warming himself, a maid said to him, You are one of the disciples of Jesus.
Then Peter was frightened, and said, No, I am not; I do not know the man you speak of.
Then Peter got up, and went outside the door; but another maid said to him, I am sure you are one of the disciples of Jesus.
Peter said, I am not. So Peter went back again to the fire, and began talking with the servants.
But some of them remembered having seen Peter in the garden, and they came to Peter and said, We are certain that you are one of the disciples. I saw you in the garden, said one.
Then Peter began to swear, and to say that he was not.
While Peter was speaking so wickedly he heard a cock crow. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said, and he looked at Jesus, and Jesus turned round his face and looked at Peter. It was such a look! Jesus did not speak, but his look seemed to say, Is this Peter, my friend, who said he would die with me? Is this his love for me? Does he say he does not know me?
Peter felt very sorry; he felt as if his heart would break, and he went out of the house, and began to cry very much indeed. For Peter did really love Jesus; only Satan had tempted him to be so wicked as to say he did not know him.
If Peter had prayed in the garden instead of going to sleep, he would have behaved better. But Christ had often prayed for Peter, that Satan might not get his soul at last.