LUKE 22:54-62 – Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance. And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
THEME OF THE DAY. THE LOOK THAT DEFEATS ALL TEMPTATION. Let’s imagine we have a front row position observing today’s scripture as it unfolds. We watch Jesus being dragged into the high priest’s house. Over our shoulder, we see Peter warming himself by a fire, surrounded by strangers. Then our ears perk up as we hear a conversation unfolding around the fire. Our hearts begin to sink as we see Peter cowering in fear, denying the Lord. We might even have a passing thought, “Oh, Peter how could you?” If that thought is occurring, dismiss it. We would have done the same. Don’t be hard on Peter. There is a little Peter by the fire in all of us. If we don’t think so, let me convince us. Have we had the opportunity to speak to someone about Jesus but fearing rejection and response, we remained silent? Sure we have, but back to our eye-witnessing of this account. Twice we hear Peter deny the Lord. Some scholars and historians believe Jesus was within hearing of this conversation. And they are likely correct out of what happens next. Peter makes his third denial and fulfills the prophecy Jesus said of Him (Matthew 26:34). Luke records Jesus’ response to hearing the forsaking words from His disciple – “And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.”
What a look that must have been! It was soul-piecing as witnessed by Peter’s response – And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly. It was not a look of scolding, “I told you so”. Nor was it a stare of disgust over Peter’s public failure. It was a look of love. A look of commitment. A look of pity. Even a look of mercy. How do we know that? Again, Peter’s response. He was crushed. He was so sorry over his failure. He was broken. Those are the marks of a person experiencing the birth pains of genuine repentance. Such repentance comes when one sees the goodness and love of God and our sin against such. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4).
Peter learned a lot in this encounter with Jesus. We never again read of him failing in this area. Instead we see him becoming a watchful disciple to the ever-present danger of temptation to sin. And the application for us? There is a powerful lesson implied to help us defeat all temptation. When tempted to sin, remember the eye of our Lord is upon us. Think of His omniscience and omnipresence. If we keep our eyes on Him who has His eyes on us, temptation and sin lose their grip and attraction on us. It all begins with remember “the look”; the look of our glorious Savior.
PRAYER: “Lord, may I learn to think of Your loving gaze upon me when tempted to dishonor You by sin.”
QUOTE: “Never allow the enticing look of temptation cause our eyes to look off the loving heart of Jesus”