Luke 22:61-62 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

The events of Good Friday are recorded in an extremely matter-of-fact way, when they were earth-shaking. Words are actually inadequate to tell all that was going on. Of those events, Peter’s denial of Jesus is perhaps the one we can identify with most easily, because we’ve all been in situations where we lied, or at least remained silent, to save our own skin, or even our feelings. This event forever shattered Peter’s pride, because he had been put face-to-face with his own weakness. It strikes me as very meaningful that God arranged it so that Jesus looked at Peter, not speaking a word. You could not arrange a more dramatic confrontation, but this was no screen play. I would imagine that Jesus’ face showed both sorrow and love, but not condemnation, because He had known this would happen, and had told Peter so. It’s also significant that Luke uses “Lord” here to refer to Jesus. He was and is the Lord of the universe, but as Paul expressed it, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage (grasped); rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:6-8) Jesus could have changed everything in an instant, but He operated in total submission to His Father, knowing that the Father’s plan was for the salvation of mankind. We can have that attitude only by faith in the One who displayed it for our sake. We too are Peter in this scene, and our tears need to be tears of genuine repentance, as his were.

I don’t recall using words to deny knowing Jesus, but my actions have indicated that attitude more than I like to think about. Anytime I place myself, mentally or emotionally, above someone, I am denying my Lord who so totally submitted Himself for my sake. Whatever else it includes, being like Jesus certainly includes humility. Jesus’ attitude didn’t deny who He was, but it voluntarily raised others up – including Peter, who denied knowing Him. Jesus’ gaze didn’t destroy Peter, it enabled him to repent to a degree that prepared him to be the spokesman at Pentecost, and for all the rest of his ministry. I need to focus on lifting people up, not putting them down. I have used words as weapons far too many times in my life. I need to express the love of God consistently, even when that involves looking at someone the way Jesus did at Peter.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for what You enabled me to do yesterday, and that the Cho family is safely back from Hong Kong. Thank You for Your plans for today. That our departure is now less than two weeks off feels like a lot of pressure, but You’ve already got everything planned out. Guide me in straightening out where we’ll be staying in Louisville, since my brother will be moved by the time we get there. I feel very inadequate in that, so I ask for clear guidance and presence of mind. May Cathy and I both rest, relax, and rejoice in You each step of the way, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!