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. (Luke 22:54-62 ESV).
Today we find a calendar day that only comes once every four years. It is the added day that keeps the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical year or seasonal year. It is a bit unusual because of its relatively rare occurrence. There are those times when we come to a passage that is so often taught from one point of view that deviating from that perspective becomes just as unusual. Today I want to look at this familiar story and do just that. Instead of focusing on Peter’s denial, we should look at Jesus’ reaction.
Following Peter into the courtyard, it’s more important to focus on Jesus’ love than on Peter’s failure. Failure feels so final, and a fall like Peter’s can seem fatal. But falling down doesn’t mean staying down. At the high priest’s house, Peter drew close to the fire in the courtyard and sat among the people there. Accusations and denials followed. Wanting to be close to Jesus, Peter had placed himself in a vulnerable position. After the third denial, as Jesus had foretold, a rooster crowed. Peter had fallen hard!
But let’s focus on the Lord’s reaction. It’s deliberate: “the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter.” It was not the look of condemnation or rejection. Jesus knew Peter’s daring and impetuous nature, just as he knows us. We want to do right, but we mess up. Jesus’ eyes on Peter would have shown hurt, but also love and compassion. The Lord’s look was the look of God’s redeeming, restoring love. Peter had fallen, but Jesus also looked and found him. He’s still doing the same with us.