54 They seized him, and led him away, and brought him into the Kohen Gadol's house. But Rock followed from a distance. 55 When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard, and had sat down together, Rock sat among them. 56 A certain servant girl saw him as he sat in the light, and looking intently at him, said, "This man also was with him."
57 He denied Yeshua, saying, "Woman, I don't know him."
58 After a little while someone else saw him, and said, "You also are one of them!" But Rock answered,
"Man, I am not!"
59 After about one hour passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Truly this man also was with him, for he is a Gelili!"
60 But Rock said, "Man, I don't know what you are talking about!" Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. 61 The Lord turned, and looked at Rock. Then Rock remembered the Lord's word, how he said to him, "Before the rooster crows you will deny me three times." 62 He went out, and wept bitterly. [Luke 22:54-62 HNV]
As I strolled through Chicago’s O’Hare airport, something caught my eye—a hat worn by someone racing through the concourse. What caught my attention was the message it conveyed in just two words: “Deny Everything.” I wondered what it meant. Don’t ever admit to guilt? Or deny yourself the pleasures and luxuries of life? I scratched my head at the mystery of those two simple words, “Deny Everything.”
One of Jesus’ followers, Simon Peter, did some denying. In a critical moment, he denied three times that He even knew Jesus! (Luke 22:57, 58,60). His fear-filled act of denial caused him such guilt and heartache that, broken by his spiritual failure, he could only go out and weep bitterly (v.62).
But Peter’s denial of Christ, like our own moments of spiritual denial, could never diminish the compassion of God. The prophet Jeremiah wrote, “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22-23). We can take heart that even when we fail, our faithful God comes to us in mercy and compassion that never fails!
Thank You, Father, for Your new and never-
failing mercies. Forgive me for the times I deny
You and fail others, and teach me to run to
You for Your overflowing compassion.
Being imperfect emphasizes our dependence on God’s mercy.
Unfailing Mercy
"Fair Use For Educational or Discussion Purposes"
