S. Peter Warned

S. Mark xiv. 26–31

It was the custom of the Jews before breaking up from the Paschal Supper to sing the latter portion of the Hallel * while the fourth or last cup was being filled. The Psalms which composed it were full of Messianic prophecy, and words like these must have come home to the Lord and His disciples with the deepest meaning: “The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me.” “Bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.” “The stone which the builders rejected is become the head stone of the corner.” It was after this hymn of praise was finished that they left the upper chamber and went down to the brook Kidron on the road to Olivet. The Paschal moon was shining, and they sat down from time to time to listen to the last words of their Master. The first note He struck must have filled them with the saddest forebodings. When the aged Simeon took Him as a Babe in his arms at the Presentation in the Temple, he had predicted that He would be “set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel” — to some a rock of offence, to others a stepping-stone to higher things. Recurring in thought to this prophecy, Jesus reminds the disciples that it is in part about to receive its fulfilment in them: “All ye shall be offended because of Me this night.” Then as His eye runs back over the scroll of more ancient prediction concerning Himself, He remembers how Zechariah had foretold that the Shepherd should be smitten and the sheep be scattered abroad. But just as the seer had lit up the gloom of his woful message by the assurance that God would turn again His hands in favour and kindness upon “the little ones” of the flock, even so the Master promises that as the shepherd “goes before” the sheep, and they follow him whithersoever he goes, He will unite them again in their old Galilean 1 home. It is a voice of sadness just touched with joy. “I look on,” He seems to say, “into the perils that await you; I see the wolves that are waiting to rush in the moment the Shepherd is removed; I see you scattered in every direction, but not for ever. I shall return to My charge over you, My voice will be heard wThere you have so often listened to it in the past, and you will know it again, and come back to My fold.”

But Peter thinks only of the predicted scattering, and asks himself, “Why should I be scattered? it is cowardice to flee;” and his brave Galilean heart resents the imputation. I cannot answer for the rest, he says, but your words shall never be true of me. “Although all shall be offended, yet will not I.”

But He Who foresaw the end from the beginning, and knew what such self-reliance would lead to, instantly checked him with an assurance that he would not only fail in the hour of trial, but that his failure would be one of an inexcusable kind. “Verily I say unto thee, that this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny Me thrice.”

Long afterwards he remembered the warning, and though the other Evangelists have spoken only of one cock-crowing, S. Peter himself wished the aggravation of his fall to be emphasised, and told S. Mark of the double hindrance that the two cockcrowings had put in his way. But even though our Lord prefaced the warning with an asseveration that should have made him tremble, he only replied with more abundant presumption: “If I should die with Thee, I will not deny Thee in any wise;” and encouraged by his boldness all the disciples repeated his declaration.

Now we know how grievously this bold impulsive Apostle fell when the crisis came. It will magnify the greatness of his guilt if we try to bring out from the other records the additional warnings by which in His forethought Jesus tried to arm him against the coming temptation.

In what order they were given it is impossible to decide, but in all probability it was before they left the upper room that our Lord said to him, “Simon, Simon” — repeating his name to attract closer attention, — “behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” The words must have struck the Apostle with peculiar force. Satan had wished, and the original word implies that God had not thwarted his wish, to sift the whole 3 Apostolic company. The accuser of the brethren hoped that in the final crisis all might prove to be chaff; but Jesus assures S. Peter that he individually had been a subject for His special intercession, that such a result might be averted at least from him when the sifting should take place. Why, the Apostle must have argued with himself, should I be singled out? It can only be because in His foresight the Master sees that I shall be most in need of His help.

Again he must have asked in wonder, “What can the Lord mean by speaking of my being ’ converted ‘? At least it implies that I shall fall into sin. I cannot turn back till I have first turned away.” But if these significant hints failed to awaken him to a sense of his peril, he would surely be aroused by his Master’s parting words, the repetition of which would redouble their force: “Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest Me.”

Then there was a third voice of warning. After they had all gone out, the Master told them that in a little time He was about to leave them and go whither they could none of them follow. It was doubtless a grievous blow to one and all, but the announcement was received in silence save by S. Peter. True to his impetuous, hasty nature, he altogether refused to accept the position. Where can He be going? he seems to ask himself in astonishment. There must be some danger before Him which He thinks we are unable to face, and He would gladly spare us; but I can face it; I will not be spared. At the worst I can but lose my life, and that I am quite prepared for; yes, “I will lay down my life for Thy sake.” But what a rebuff his courageous devotion must have received! What an awakening it should have been to the hollowness of his professions to have been met for the third time with the same unvarying presage, “The cock shall not crow till thou hast denied Me thrice.”

Here then we have seen with what patience and persevering kindness our Lord endeavoured to prepare S. Peter for the trial that awaited him. That it was not rewarded was due to several causes. It will suffice in this place to consider one only, viz., his hesitation to believe the warning voice of his Master, arising from an imperfect realisation of the true Nature of Him Who spoke. Had he been possessed by an undoubting conviction of His Godhead he could hardly have ignored such plain and repeated admonitions; but here, as generally throughout his discipleship, he failed to grasp the reality of His Being. He seems to have been for ever dwelling upon His Humanity. We see it so plainly throughout this Gospel, written under his guidance and supervision. It is a record of repeated reference to all those characteristics which He shared with mankind. Once or twice there was an outburst of something better, ventures of faith which carried him beyond what was merely human, but it was only momentary; there was no abiding sense -of His Divinity, such as would have made him feel that whatever He said was absolutely true, and must come to pass. If we learn nothing else from the history of S. Peter’s fall, let us carry away an undoubting assurance of the truth which he failed to grasp, or forgot to his cost, that we are disciples of One Who knows and sees everything, and means whatever He says without qualification or reserve. “Hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?”

Note: The Hallel sung at the three great festivals consisted of Psalms cxiii. to cxviii. At the Passover the first two were sung at an early part of the Feast. The part sung by our Lord contained, the Rabbis said, these five things: The Exodus, the Dividing of the Red Sea, the Delivering of the Law, the Resurrection of the Dead, the Sorrows of the Messiah. In Talm. Bab. Pesachim 18 a. there is a dispute among Rabbis Jehudah, Jochanan, and Yaakob as to the limits of “the Great Hallel.” All agreed that it ended with the close of Ps. cxxxv., but they varied as to its commencement.

Note: This was fulfilled, as we read in S. Matt, xxviii. 16, when Jesus gave His first solemn charge to the whole body of disciples. This was, it is thought, the first occasion after the Resurrection when they were all gathered together.

Note: Cf. p. 3. The first cock- crowing was about midnight; the second three hours later. It is probable that S. Peter would record the actual words used by our Lord, and the other Evangelists the substance. By” cock-crowing” they meant the same as” the second cock-crowing,” because the first was not often mentioned, whereas the second was that which every one was familiar with. Possibly the full expression used was,” Before the cock crow thou shalt deny Me; before the cock crow twice thou shalt deny Me thrice.” The objection that cocks were forbidden at Jerusalem is invalid; for whatever the old rule had been, it has been proved that there was no law against them at this time; cf. Lightfoot in loc.

Note: f||?T77craro, i.e. “obtained by asking.” It is to be noticed, however, that it was only granted that he might “sift” them, not that he might have his full wish.

Note: The change from the plural vfids to the singular ai is carefully to be noticed.