John 18:17 “Then the slave-girl who kept the door said to Peter, ‘You are not also one of this man's disciples, are you?’ He said, ‘I am not.’”
We can connect a few dots at this point. John was known by Annas, and apparently the slave-girl, who was the gatekeeper, also knew John. She knew that John was a follower of Jesus, so when John spoke to her about Peter and she let him in, she naturally assumed Peter also was a follower of Jesus. So probably as Peter entered with John, she questioned him about his connection to Jesus. One has to wonder if Peter was caught off guard at the question, because all of a sudden, it was as if a darkness enveloped him—love and courage were devoured. The prowling lion had pounced on him. He answered, “I am not.”
Have you ever had such an experience? One moment you are passionate about Jesus, and then something disillusions you, surprises you, or doesn’t go like you thought it was supposed to go, and the next moment you fall to a strong temptation that you thought wasn’t possible. Have you ever been asked a question that you didn’t expect and responded with a lie in order to protect yourself? You find yourself in a daze, a sense of disappointment with yourself swells within. To my shame, I have been there. The tide of conviction and shame can almost take your breath away, and you can’t think clearly. I can imagine what happened with Peter. Afterwards, Peter could see clearly what he should have done. Resist the devil!
It appeared as if Peter wanted to be with Jesus, perhaps just like we want to live to love with Jesus. This story reminds us that we can be following Jesus with good intentions, and in a weak moment be overtaken by temptation. Have you experienced something recently that you didn’t expect? Something that disillusioned you? Someone who disappointed you? That’s the devil’s first growl when he’s on the prowl. He tries to get your eyes off of Jesus and onto yourself. If you know what I’m talking about and you are hearing the growl of the devil, resist him now. Surrender yourself to Jesus and abide in Him with tenacity. We were saved to love Jesus and love with Him come hell or high-water.
Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com
