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422
From Heaven With Love
thou art a Galilean.” At this Peter flew into a rage. In order fully
to deceive his questioners and justify his assumed character, Peter
now denied his Master with cursing and swearing. Again the cock
crowed. Peter heard it, and remembered the words of Jesus, “Before
the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny Me thrice.”
Mark 14:30
.
While the degrading oaths were fresh upon Peter’s lips, and the
shrill crowing of the cock was ringing in his ears, the Saviour turned
and looked full upon His poor disciple. At the same time Peter’s
eyes were drawn to his Master. In that gentle countenance he read
deep pity and sorrow, but no anger.
The sight of that suffering face, those quivering lips, pierced his
heart like an arrow. Peter called to mind his promise of a few short
hours before, when the Saviour told him he would deny his Lord
thrice that same night. Peter now realized how accurately his Lord
had read his heart, the falseness of which was unknown to himself.
A tide of memories rushed over him. The Saviour’s long-
suffering, His patience—all was remembered. He reflected with
horror on his own falsehood, his perjury. Once more he saw a sacri-
legious hand raised to smite his Master in the face. Unable longer to
endure the scene, he rushed, heartbroken, from the hall.
He pressed on in solitude and darkness, he knew not and cared
not whither. At last he found himself in Gethsemane. He remem-
bered with bitter remorse that Jesus had agonized in prayer alone.
He remembered His solemn charge, “Watch and pray, that ye enter
not into temptation.”
Matthew 26:41
. It was torture to his bleeding
heart to know that he had added the heaviest burden to the Saviour’s
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humiliation and grief. Peter fell on his face and wished that he might
die.
Had those hours in the garden been spent in watching and prayer,
Peter would not have been left to depend on his own feeble strength.
He would not have denied his Lord. Had the disciples watched with
Christ in His agony, they would have been prepared to behold His
suffering on the cross. Amid the gloom of the most trying hour,
hope would have lighted up the darkness and sustained their faith.