Bitterly.
Everyone knows the shortest verse in the New Testament "Jesus Wept."
Did you realize that there is an even more gut- heaving account of weaping in the 14th chapter of Mark- Peter wept loudly and bitterly. He "denied" Jesus.
Not such a rock then, was he.
This is what we have all been told, and so goes the legend of the Rooster- Keep one in your house so you will not "betray" Jesus- my Mother collects them for that reason.
There is more to the story if we look deeper.
Peter wasn't just seized with a sort of Thomistic doubt and backsliding from his understanding of who Jesus was. He wasn't saying- not sure who the guy is in this three-fold act of betrayal.
He knew who Jesus was. "Who do you say that I am ?" "You are the Christ-[Messiah]." - the Salvation of humanity-the one who came to save the world from it's own selves and sins. This is an affirmation we are told can only come by the understanding of the Holy Spirit. He knew exactly who Jesus was- his salvation. His truest Love.
He lied. He knew he lied.
Why did he lie. How did he lie?
For this we have to look at who was asking Peter whether he knew Jesus.
It is written that it was a maid/servant of the High Priest (probably Caiaphias).
Who is this person? Here is a person who had access as a maid or servant to Caiaphias. She had to clean after him or take care of his needs, thus she had access to some of the inner workings of the Temple. She took orders from him- could probably address him more informally-
"Do you want your socks folded or rolled" or "Do you want parmegian over the pasta?" or
"What shall I do with the leftover lamb giblets..." You get the point. The maid -servant was a person of the household of the High Priest in the service of the Temple.
Obviously word was out in the higher hierarchy that this Jesus character was trouble-and she would have heard it. He was deemed a bit of a rebel maybe. Totally presumptous running around calling himself important gathering a following that is blocking all the thoroughfares and attracting more support than the High Priest himself-is he taking up a collection?. Jesus was a real threat- some of his teachings were not only revolutionary, they were rather "in your face" to the High Priest hiearchy order of things- and let's not even talk about flipping out the entire courtyard of money-changers. It's easy to hear the subtextual gossip that she would have been around and heard..."How dare that Jesus character-who does he think he is!" King of What!!! What King!! He's a loser carpenter from Nazareth, that dive town -nothing good comes from there! Who does he think he is coming in here! What Dominican Seminary did he graduate from!
Everyone knows the shortest verse in the New Testament "Jesus Wept."
Did you realize that there is an even more gut- heaving account of weaping in the 14th chapter of Mark- Peter wept loudly and bitterly. He "denied" Jesus.
Not such a rock then, was he.
This is what we have all been told, and so goes the legend of the Rooster- Keep one in your house so you will not "betray" Jesus- my Mother collects them for that reason.
There is more to the story if we look deeper.
Peter wasn't just seized with a sort of Thomistic doubt and backsliding from his understanding of who Jesus was. He wasn't saying- not sure who the guy is in this three-fold act of betrayal.
He knew who Jesus was. "Who do you say that I am ?" "You are the Christ-[Messiah]." - the Salvation of humanity-the one who came to save the world from it's own selves and sins. This is an affirmation we are told can only come by the understanding of the Holy Spirit. He knew exactly who Jesus was- his salvation. His truest Love.
He lied. He knew he lied.
Why did he lie. How did he lie?
For this we have to look at who was asking Peter whether he knew Jesus.
It is written that it was a maid/servant of the High Priest (probably Caiaphias).
Who is this person? Here is a person who had access as a maid or servant to Caiaphias. She had to clean after him or take care of his needs, thus she had access to some of the inner workings of the Temple. She took orders from him- could probably address him more informally-
"Do you want your socks folded or rolled" or "Do you want parmegian over the pasta?" or
"What shall I do with the leftover lamb giblets..." You get the point. The maid -servant was a person of the household of the High Priest in the service of the Temple.
Obviously word was out in the higher hierarchy that this Jesus character was trouble-and she would have heard it. He was deemed a bit of a rebel maybe. Totally presumptous running around calling himself important gathering a following that is blocking all the thoroughfares and attracting more support than the High Priest himself-is he taking up a collection?. Jesus was a real threat- some of his teachings were not only revolutionary, they were rather "in your face" to the High Priest hiearchy order of things- and let's not even talk about flipping out the entire courtyard of money-changers. It's easy to hear the subtextual gossip that she would have been around and heard..."How dare that Jesus character-who does he think he is!" King of What!!! What King!! He's a loser carpenter from Nazareth, that dive town -nothing good comes from there! Who does he think he is coming in here! What Dominican Seminary did he graduate from!
Worse, he was arrested by the Romans- he was treated like and deemed a criminal. Criminal. Lock him up, whip him silly and if he survives let's see if he should be strung up on a tree and killed.
Peter getting "caught" by the girl is worse than a Democrat being caught on C-span at a Federalist Society luncheon.
This is why the question to Peter by the maid-servant isn't a nice innocuous one - like, hey, I can tell from your accent that you came all the way from Gallilee, you probably came with that great nice fella Jesus who is so brilliant and kind-lucky you. No, it was an accusatorial finger-pointing sort of "you are one of them!!! I know you are, I saw you with him, you low life!" (paraphrased liberally)
So Peter looks the girl in the face and lies. He says- NOPE- Neva met the guy.
He doesn't just "deny" Jesus- he totally lies and says he never met him. Denial plus Betrayal plus a pile of lies.
Then the girl shouts to the passers-by hanging around or in part of the Temple- Hey!! Look! I found one- one of those Gallilean upstarts who hangs with that Jesus guy!! (paraphrased again liberally)
Peter lies again- NOPE- not me! Neva met the guy. The girl is outta her mind.
Then the crowd of passers-by light into him menacingly- Hey you! Are you with that guy Jesus?
It happens again- Peter sticks hard to his tall tale - insists on lying a third time- and insists that
he never met the guy, he isn't with him, he just came all the way from Gallilee by himself.... bowing to the mob.
Jesus, part Prophet told him- my dearest Peter, before the rooster (cock) crows three times you are going to deny me. Before it's even full morning light, in the dark of the dew covered cobblestones, you are going to deny me three times- like you never met me.
Peter was the one who understood and articulated who Jesus was originally. Remember. He knew in his gut as enlightened by the Holy Spirit at the very beginning who Jesus was. Lord. Lord of Lords, King of Kings. Purest Love. Purest Truest Love. The person who loved him the most on the planet.
He followed him around for three years and knew that he was LOVE incarnated. LOVE, such that no man ever had greater. LOVE of enemies, of harlots, of sammaritans, of the foresaken, the oppressed, the fatherless, the orphan, the imprisoned, the leper, the diseased, the hungry. LOVE incarnate. Peter saw Jesus cure his own mother in law, and raise dead people back to life for crying out loud. Who was he? Peter-you know exactly who Jesus is.
He knew Jesus was the "light" of the world, and saw him transfigured with clothing brilliant white as if turned into light standing with images of Moses and Elijiah. Peter. Peter. Peter. You know who Jesus is.
Jesus was the guy who caused him to reap a pile of so much fish while fishing his nets broke he couldn't contain it. He was his provider, his helper in time of despirate need, the one who beckoned him to walk to him on the water with him.
Peter lied, three times, and said he did not know the LOVE that was his very salvation.
The Purest Love- that he knew in his heart, he lied, denied, betrayed and said-Nope! Not Me! Neva met the guy (wiping out the last three years of any meaning in his life). Bowing to the fear of a tattle tale and a menacing mob.
Why did he do this? Because he was afraid of the Powers that Be- he was afraid that the girl would tell the High Priest and he would be in trouble. Big Trouble. The High Priest had the power to accept sacrifices to forgive sins, he could throw heretics in prison- he could even kill them as insurgents or turn them over to the Romans to do the dirty work. If he wasn't a dead man, he wasn't getting his sins forgiven anytime soon. For sure, he was getting his sorry Gallilean derriere kicked out of the Temple during Passover-the highest holy day. What a Scandal. Under any scenario, this girl was big trouble. And she was making a loud fuss about him. He was dodging this bullet-- with a big fat lie--against his very soul.
NOPE- never met LOVE, never met the man-whatzissname Jesus.
Who Me? Hanging with the heretics? Nope. Not me.
So Peter, realizing what he had done- to himself-- in betraying his own heart, wept. Bitterly.
The Purest Love is no servant to a polity in its opposition for its own political ends.
The Purest Love will always trump it- because GOD himself is LOVE- and the rest is just a means of keeping score.
Peter Wept. Bitterly.
Then woke up- and God himself forgave him -not the High Priest. Because God is Love.
And Love overcomes evil every time. Every time.
And so will you bow to the menacing mob pressure, or a tattle tale who scores points by ratting out to a boss threatened by Love.
Or will you look Love in the Eye and say- I know who you are. I Love You Back.
Jesus was the guy who caused him to reap a pile of so much fish while fishing his nets broke he couldn't contain it. He was his provider, his helper in time of despirate need, the one who beckoned him to walk to him on the water with him.
Peter lied, three times, and said he did not know the LOVE that was his very salvation.
The Purest Love- that he knew in his heart, he lied, denied, betrayed and said-Nope! Not Me! Neva met the guy (wiping out the last three years of any meaning in his life). Bowing to the fear of a tattle tale and a menacing mob.
Why did he do this? Because he was afraid of the Powers that Be- he was afraid that the girl would tell the High Priest and he would be in trouble. Big Trouble. The High Priest had the power to accept sacrifices to forgive sins, he could throw heretics in prison- he could even kill them as insurgents or turn them over to the Romans to do the dirty work. If he wasn't a dead man, he wasn't getting his sins forgiven anytime soon. For sure, he was getting his sorry Gallilean derriere kicked out of the Temple during Passover-the highest holy day. What a Scandal. Under any scenario, this girl was big trouble. And she was making a loud fuss about him. He was dodging this bullet-- with a big fat lie--against his very soul.
NOPE- never met LOVE, never met the man-whatzissname Jesus.
Who Me? Hanging with the heretics? Nope. Not me.
So Peter, realizing what he had done- to himself-- in betraying his own heart, wept. Bitterly.
The Purest Love is no servant to a polity in its opposition for its own political ends.
The Purest Love will always trump it- because GOD himself is LOVE- and the rest is just a means of keeping score.
Peter Wept. Bitterly.
Then woke up- and God himself forgave him -not the High Priest. Because God is Love.
And Love overcomes evil every time. Every time.
And so will you bow to the menacing mob pressure, or a tattle tale who scores points by ratting out to a boss threatened by Love.
Or will you look Love in the Eye and say- I know who you are. I Love You Back.
I know that one.
Yes, I am with that one.
This, then is the true meaning of Christmas- the coming of EMMANUEL- God With Us.
God With Us, has manifest after a very long wait, on earth- to stay- after the weeping.
After the Weeping, Love Came to Stay.
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