DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE CROW OF THE ROOSTER

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE CROW OF THE ROOSTER

"Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, 'You are not also one of His disciples, are you?' He denied it and said, 'I am not!' One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, 'Did I not see you in the garden with Him?' Peter then denied again; and immediate a rooster crowed." (John 18:25-27)

When Peter heard the crow of the rooster, it caused an arrow to shoot through his heart. I know the feeling very well. That pang in the conscience when I know that I've blown it. I knew the right thing to do and then I ended up doing the very opposite. I'm like the Apostle Paul who wrote in Romans chapter 7: "What I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice, but that which I hate, that I do. For the things that I will to do, that I do not do. But the evil I will not to do, that I do." Peter knew exactly what he should do. Not long before that, he declared that he would never deny the Lord, that he would lay down his life for Jesus. He was full of bluster, but mostly, he was just a bunch of hot air.

I don't want to be too hard on Peter, because he was in a terrible place, warming his hand by the fire of the enemies of Jesus, afraid that his own life might be sacrificed by his allegiance to the Master. That's a problem right there – warming himself by the enemies' fire.   In that setting, he denied that he knew Jesus. He probably felt as guilty as all get out. Jesus had predicted that Peter would forsake him. And now the rooster crowed, just as Jesus had said.

John did not record this in his account, but Matthew tells us some pertinent information, when he wrote that just after Peter had cursed and swore, he heard the rooster crow. Then he remembered the words of Jesus, and he went out and wept bitterly. It was after three failures, that Peter heard the rooster crow. His spirit was so crushed that he went out and wept in sorrow.

Luke also records that the Lord Jesus turned and looked at Peter. Oh, how that look must have stung Peter's soul. Scripture does not tell us what that look entailed, but I don't think it was a look of condemnation. Knowing the heart of Jesus, I think it was a look of sadness and compassion.

I have to ask myself, how many times does it take for me to fail before I hear the rooster crow and weep bitterly over my sin? I can make all kinds of excuses and reasons for my failures, but that does not keep the rooster from crowing.

When Jesus looks at me, what does He see? A person who has failed again, or someone whom He loves in spite of my weakness? I can't help but believe that it is a tender look, a look that says, "I know you failed, but the Father has plans for you in the future." That look should cause me to weep, not just because of my own personal weakness, but because I have failed the Lord Jesus.

This is not the end of the story. Jesus eventually welcomed Peter back and gave him a mission for life in chapter 21. Oh, the grace of the Lord Jesus. He loves me in spite of my failures. But still, I listen for the rooster to crow.

Love, Dad