A Good Friday Meditation on Mark 14:66-72

I love the stories of Simon Peter in the gospel. In Christ’s call to Peter to tend my sheep, I hear my own call. We hear so many stories about Peter in the gospels – about his well-intentioned excitement, his yearning to be close to Jesus. To do things like be the first to walk on the water – and then overthink things and get scared. But today, we hear that this same person, who was so desperate to be close to Christ and embrace every step – this same person denies Jesus three times.

The fear around Jesus’ arrest, all that fear about what was going to happen next, can so easily through our whole selves. In these times of fear, it’s easy to let that fear overwhelm us and permeate everything, every little bit of us.

Before that night, Peter never would’ve imagined he’s chose fear and deny Jesus not just once but three times. If someone with as much love and devotion and knowledge of Christ as Peter had can fall prey to that fear, then we’re all capable of that too.

God, on the Good Fridays of our lives, it’s hard to see beyond the immensity of our fear and sadness, help us remember that your love is always – and undeniably – bigger.