“A questioning under fire”

By Rev. Michael Stonhouse

Meditation – Tuesday, December 17, 2024

Luke 22: 54-69 (Forward, p. 49) CEV p. 1094

I dare say that none of us is particularly effective or erudite when questioned under fire. And that refers only to the tricky business of trying to come up with a sensible or compelling or convincing answer, not when our very lives are under threat. This, most certainly, is how Peter felt when he came under fire, was subjected to interrogation there in the courtyard of the High Priest’s Palace. After all, Matthew, in his account of the events of this particular night (Matthew 26:31), has Jesus quoting Zechariah 13:7, “I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered”, to describe what will happen. And so, Peter, fearful and expecting the very worst, denies even knowing Jesus.

Interestingly, his questioning under fire becomes even intense—and more pointed--over time. The first question merely suggests that Peter was with Jesus, while the second suggests that he was one of them and the third, presumably because of Peter’s distinctive Galilean accent—an accent that he would have shared with Jesus--insists vehemently that Peter is part of Jesus’ crew. At that point, Peter loses it, loses his resolve to remain loyal to Jesus, and not only denies this allegation, repudiates any connection, but backs this up with a string of strong oaths. Peter is clearly trying to disassociate himself from the man and save his own skin. So much for Peter’s questioning under fire.

And then there is Jesus’ questioning under fire. To the questions of His tormentors, it seems that Jesus said nothing—as would be entirely fitting, as nothing He said would have ever satisfied them. However, His response to the queries of the Sanhedrin reveals something different. They ask Him whether He is the Messiah, which, in itself, would not necessarily been condemning or incriminating. However, Jesus knows that whatever He says, it is likely to be misunderstood or misconstrued. After all, His understanding of what it means to be Messiah is light-years-away from theirs. But then He says, “From now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right side of God Almighty”. There is no sidestepping of the truth here, no attempt to evade what He knows to be true. He is claiming a special relationship with God, one that is strangely and remarkably reminiscent of Daniel’s vision in Daniel 7:13-14. This, as far as the Sanhedrin was concerned, would have been like ‘setting a cat among the pigeons’. This was tantamount to admitting His deity, which would have been blasphemy and punishable by death.

So, apart from an interesting episode from history, one where Jesus stands firm for the truth and Peter doesn’t, what has this to say to us? To me, it says that whether we remain faithful to Christ or not, deny Him or not, He will never deny or desert us. He will remain faithful to the truth, and to the truth that we are beloved by God, whether we acknowledge that, or live by that, or not.

Forward notes: “Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times” (verse 61b).

“’Denial isn’t just a river in Egypt.’ When I was in my teens, those words often crossed my lips. They were my rebellious way of telling someone they were in denial about something they did not see or could not grasp. I occasionally hear that phrase uttered today, and it often makes me think of the wider church.

“As followers of Jesus, we know a thing or two about denial. It is in our spiritual DNA. From Peter denying Jesus in the courtyard of the high priest to the church’s response to social ills and our role in society, denial has been and continues to be part and parcel of the church.

“We deny Jesus when we fail to speak out for those in greatest need. We deny Jesus when we are so concerned about our liturgy and worship that we forget that their purpose is to equip us to be Jesus in the world. We deny Jesus when we refuse to fight for the basic needs of our siblings in Christ. We deny Jesus when we remain silent in the face of ignorance, hatred, and bigotry.”

Moving Forward: “Advent invites us to keep awake, open our eyes, and look and listen for signs. As we await the coming of the Messiah, we might begin by looking at the places where we deny the reality of the Christ among us.”

A concluding note or two: but are these the only ways that we deny Jesus? I think not. I think that we also deny Jesus when we dispense with His words or deny their importance or bearing in our lives, or share His word, or evangelize others, or refuse to live obediently and faithfully as He commanded us to live. The needs of those in need are not the only things that He calls us to address. In fact, I would dare say that evangelism is even higher on His list of priorities, given that it was the essence of His final commission to the Church on behalf of all of humankind.