The divine thing Peter’s mind could not
comprehend was how his idea of a butt kicking, conquering hero Messiah could undergo
great suffering, rejection and death. That was not the Messiah program that
Peter signed on to when he left his nets to follow. And more to the point, his
earthly idea was to be the rock upon which the Jesus church would be founded
even if the two blowhard brothers, James and John, were lining up to sit at
Jesus right and left. In the end he is the only disciple brave enough to follow
the bound and gagged Jesus into the courtyard even though when push comes to
shove his courage fails him and Jesus. Perhaps his bitter tears have as much to
do with being ashamed of Jesus as hearing the cock crow. We’re not so different
and much of what passes as priestly piety is really about power. Earthly
boundaries erected around font and table and pulpit and pew can be ways we save
our life instead of losing it for those God came to save. Even claims of “Love wins!” might miss the
point of what God is about when you consider that winning only happens when
someone else loses. So if love does win, which I believe it does, it’s only
because Jesus was willing to be the biggest loser.
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