Betrayal

The air was heavy with expectation.
Something was about to happen.
Simon, who Jesus called Peter,
The rock,
Was sharing the Passover meal
With the other disciples,
And with the man he worshipped,
The man he had declared to be the Messiah.
Peter's love for Jesus
Had no boundaries
No beginning and no end.

Did Peter ever understand,
Did he ever realize the blessing
Of having Jesus pray for him?

Jesus began to wash their feet.
As he did so, the water turned black
From their travels, from their sins.
Peter would have none of it.
He would not be served by the Master.
"If I do not wash your feet,
You will no longer be my disciple."
Peter, in his exuberance,
In his great passion for the Lord,
Asked to be made completely clean.

Betrayal was in the air that night.
Plans were already underway
"One of you is going to betray me."
Jesus knew who it would be.
Judas knew who it would be.
The others wondered
Will it be me?
At some point, at some time,
It would be all of them.

"Before the rooster crows
You will deny me three times."
Peter, who declared that he would
Willingly lay his life down for his Messiah,
Must have been shattered by this accusation.
He must have felt the pain of it
Deep into his being.
Deny him three times?
Impossible.
Impossible, because if he did,
How could his Master ever forgive him?

Peter shared time in the garden with Jesus,
But he fell asleep
Unable to keep watch
As Jesus prayed
And his sweat dripped like blood.
Finally, the betrayal came,
And the humiliation began.

A servant girl near a fire
Declared concerning Peter,
"This man too was with Jesus!"
"Woman, I don't even know him."
Once.

A man noticed Peter, and said
"You are one of them, too!"
"Man, I am not."
Twice.

An hour passed.
Minutes dripping by
As Jesus suffered.

"Listen to this man's voice.
This man was with Jesus,
He is also a Galilean!"
"Man, I don't know what you are talking about!"
Three times.

And the rooster crowed.

And Jesus turned and looked at Peter.

Realization hit Peter
Like the rock he was named for.
Heavy.
Devastating.
Crushing.
He ran and hid in his shame and fear.
His tears were wrenched from the depths of his soul.
Hot, bitter, unending.

He felt cast out and alone,
Separated from God by his own sin.
He could never be forgiven.
He could never be loved again.

To: Follow Me