Brokenness, A Pathway to Growth | Luke 22:54-62; 1 Peter 5

INTRODUCTION

As humans, we often think of brokenness as a negative experience, something to avoid at all costs. We strive for perfection and success, and the idea of failure or brokenness is often perceived as a weakness. However, in the eyes of God, brokenness is a necessary step towards spiritual maturity. In fact, it is through our brokenness that God can mold us into the people He created us to be. Today, we will explore Peter’s denial of Jesus.

Our generation is unwilling to embrace the idea of brokenness. Brokenness may be the key to usefulness. Brokenness is one of God’s requirements for maximum usefulness.

Upon arrest, they brought Jesus to the Chief Priest (cf. Caiphas; Mt. 26:57; Jn. 18:13).

They had met in the evening for the Passover. As they came to the Chief Priest’s home, the weather was getting cold, so they set fire and some are around the fire to get warm. Jesus stands to be interrogated by the High Priest.

Peter follows as a disciple yet at a distance to avoid being exposed.

He followed with hesitation. Jesus was in hearing distance of what Peter could say and Jesus and Peter could see each other quite well. He did this for his wellbeing and security, remained a follower but a follower at a distance. Yet remember the remining disciples are not in the scene, but Peter alone is there.

Luke 22:54-62

⁵⁴Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. ⁵⁵And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. ⁵⁶A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.” ⁵⁷But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said. ⁵⁸A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them. “Man, I am not!” Peter replied.

⁵⁹About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.” ⁶⁰Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. ⁶¹The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” ⁶²And he went outside and wept bitterly.

ILLUSTRATION

There was a significant composer who was once sitting and listening to a young lady singing one of the sons he had written. Someone had suggested that he should come and listen to her during the rehearsal. She sang with a beautiful voice, wonderful pitch, and faultless technique. The individual who had invited the composer to listen, turn to him and said, “What do you think? What’s your assessment about her singing?” The composer responded, “She will be great when something happens to break her heart.” In other words, “Her faultless technique, her pitch, her skill, her wonderful voice still needed another element of failure or brokenness in order to transform who she was and what she was as a singer of songs.

Before we look at Peter’s failure, let us look at Peter’s usefulness.

Keys to Peter’s Usefulness:

• A disciple, one who Jesus had selected to follow.
• A companion of Jesus.
• One of the closest allies of Jesus.
• Peter walked on water.
• Peter’s great declaration in Caesarea Philippi where he was enabled by the Father to say, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
• The privilege that Peter enjoyed on the mount of transfiguration to be taken in that intimate setting with the Lord Jesus Christ himself.
• Powerful declaration of the story of redemption on the day of Pentecost.
• Peter’s 2 epistles in the NT and Peter’s contribution to other NT writings.

A large part of Peter’s usefulness maybe actually traced for the scene that is described for us here. The subsequent usefulness of Peter is tied in significant measure to the brokenness of Peter that is recorded for us.

ILLUSTRATION

When we write our resume we are actually flawless. We like to show the best picture of ourselves. Even the things that we have done badly, we portray as though we have done them wonderfully badly.

ILLUSTRATION

Peggy Noonan, a Wall Street Columnist wrote in 2009, “For 30 years the self-esteem movement told the young they are perfect in every way. It’s yielding something new in history: An entire generation with no proper sense of inadequacy. Nothing that has happened to break the heart, to break the pride, to break the arrogance. So, we find ourselves looking in the mirror and singing the song, “My life filled with only me.” That is the way we are told it ought to be.

Until this point in Peter’s life, we will find all success, and we would not use the word inadequacy to describe him. He was a successful man, a successful disciple. He was audacious, willing to take bold risks. On the high-end Peter took bold risks, but at the low end he was arrogant and self-confident.

The Audacity of Peter

Matthew 16:21-22

²¹From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. ²²Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

Matthew 26:31-35

³¹Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:

“‘I will strike the shepherd,

and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

³²But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

³³Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”

³⁴“Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”

³⁵But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.

When Jesus was arrested it was Peter who takes a sword out and cut the right ear of the high priest’s servant.

Now we follow Jesus from his arrest to the courtyard of the High Priest.

Luke 22:54-55

⁵⁴Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. ⁵⁵And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them.

This is audacious, isn’t it? This is pretty bold. He told, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” This is exactly what Peter is doing. They have all gone: Judas to never come back again, 10 into hiding. Just Peter is left.

Before we criticize Peter for his collapse, let’s commend him for his courage. Most of us would not be in the courtyard with him. Most of us would have been with the 10. He at least followed not at a distance but right into the courtyard of the high priest.

What Peter does not realize is his own vulnerability. The audacity that says to him in his psyche, “I’ve got it all. I can actually handle this will fail.”

Remember Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane had told them, “The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” Peter did not figure out what that meant. His Spirit was willing as he was there but the flesh he was going to see was weak.

We have to love Peter for his devotion. But he is an illustration of the fact, “That the best of men are men at best.” – J C Ryle

The best people are still human beings and therefore have shortcomings.

We saw the audacity of Peter.

Disloyalty of Peter

Luke 22:54-60

⁵⁶A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.” ⁵⁷But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said. ⁵⁸A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them. “Man, I am not!” Peter replied.

⁵⁹About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.” ⁶⁰Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.

• Peter follows as a disciple yet at a distance to avoid being exposed.
• He mingled with others around the fire.
• Peter tried to fit in with the crowd that nobody would know. The girl knew another person knew, and Jesus knew.
• Jesus knows Zacchaeus. Jesus knows me. Jesus knows you.

Peter was pretty sure that he was standing tall. Now in the flickering firelight, he is given a 3-fold opportunity to identify himself with his Lord and Master but he collapses like a house of cards. All his affirmations collapses.

1 Corinthians 10:12

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 

Peter is remembered far more for his failure than he is for his faithfulness. You may spend a significant part of your life building character and reputation and you may destroy it in a matter of moments.

ILLUSTRATION

On Aug 23, 2011 there was an 5.8 rector scale earthquake in Washington DC. It destroyed the National Cathedral in DC. The National Cathedral put out publicity for fundraising to refurbish the Cathedral. This was the tagline they used, “See the lifelong impact, a few seconds can make.”

ILLUSTRATION

On 6 February 2023, Mw 7.8 earthquake struck southern and central Turkey and northern and western Syria. This killed around 60000 people and massive loss of infrastructure. The earthquake was just a couple of seconds, but it had a great impact.

See the lifelong impact that moments of weakness can make in our lives.

See the progression of the denial: First to the servant girl and two other men.

Luke 22:54-60

⁵⁶A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.” ⁵⁷But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said. ⁵⁸A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them. “Man, I am not!” Peter replied. ⁵⁹About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.” ⁶⁰Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.

Peter’s denial to the servant girl.

Luke says that it was the servant girl who recognized Peter and Peter denied Jesus to the servant girl. This is a big act of humiliation, where a grown up man, in fear of his life before a young girl would deny knowing Jesus; someone he had been following, someone he had been such instrumental to his life.

Luke shows that after denying Jesus to a servant girl, Peter will be given 2 other charges by men to whom he denies knowing Jesus.

The Servant Girl: This man was with him. Addressed Peter as singularly being with Jesus.

The 2^nd Man: You are one of them. Addresses Peter as if he was with the group of Jesus.

The 3^rd Man: You must be a Galilean. Addresses Peter from his origin or region from where he comes.

• First, Peter denies being with Jesus.
• Second, Peter denies belonging to the group of Jesus.
• Third, Peter denies the place or region from where Jesus comes.

Jesus and the Galileans had been making some impact in Jerusalem during the Passover. It will not be difficult to spot Galileans in Jerusalem. It is like we are able to make out groups of people from another part of the country hanging out as a group in the city of Bangalore. They were identified by their looks and accent.

The servant girl said, “You also were with Jesus.” The answer must be, “Yes, I was.” When Jesus called these 12, the scripture says that he called them to be apostles and to be with him. That was the distinguishing feature of their lives. They were called into the company of Jesus, first to be with them, then they might go for him, then they might tell others about him.

When the servant girl said to Peter, “This man was with him.” His calling, his life with Jesus would have gone through Peter.

• Peter denied knowing Jesus Personally.
• Peter denied belonging to the group of Jesus’ disciples.
• He denied his very own identity that he came from Galilee. He denied the collective identity with Jesus and with the others from Galilee.

APPLICATION

We must remember Peter and remind ourselves about us. We follow Jesus as disciples, but when life situations become a threat or with the going gets tough, sometimes we follow at a distance. In the workplace or at our colleges, in the place where following Jesus will not make us popular, will object us to ridicule, we hope that others will not know that we are Christians. Peter was something like that.

Peter mingled with the crowd but from the crowd he also had an eye on what was going on with his master. But he was able to have a covering enough.

Luke 22:61-62

⁶¹The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” ⁶²And he went outside and wept bitterly.

When Peter denied Jesus, it was as if it did not matter until he made eye contact with Jesus. When Jesus saw Peter, Peter knew that Jesus knew him and that something had gone wrong.

And Peter remembered. Peter remembered what he had been told by Jesus. The remembrance is going to serve as a platform for repentance. He is going to go out and weep. Peter could deny Jesus publicly, but the same Peter would remember what he had been taught. On that basis, he would repent, he would weep, he would express his grief. We are told he wept bitterly. This better weeping could be a manifestation of shame, remorse, and repentance.

Yes, he denied Jesus. But something is changing in this man.

What Did Peter See In The Eyes Of Jesus? Condemnation? No Compassion.

John explains that Jesus loved his disciples to the end. He loved them unconditionally. He loved them in a way that was not related to his effectiveness or to their usefulness or to their success quotient.

Here you have Jesus, looking into the eyes of Peter. He remembered his audacity and failure and Peter looked at the eyes of Jesus and he went out and wept.

Did Jesus say, “You are thankless, worthless, you are just speech no action, be gone with you Peter, you and Judas have deserted me.” Jesus did not say that. Why? Because the good work he begins, he brings to completion. Judas went out from them because he was not of them, Peter is restored to him despite the tragedy of these circumstances.

Jesus knew him and had earlier said to Peter:

Luke 22:31-32

³¹“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. ³²But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Jesus knew Peter. Jesus knows you. Jesus knows me. He knows our stumbling’s. He knows our great boasts, he knows our dreadful collapses. Jesus is praying for us.

In the court of the High Priest, it was not only an occasion where Peter would deny 3 times but we are told that Jesus will go through some mocking.

There is a drama happening here:

• Between Jesus and the High Priest and Jesus and Peter.
• Jesus is being tried by the High priest and Jesus is being betrayed by Peter.

The outcome of what will happen to the betrayal of Peter is based on the success of Jesus before the High Priest and others. Jesus loves his own, he dies in their place. Peter in this instance because loves himself more and his security and his safety, he denies his master. But because Jesus loves others more than his security and safety, he voluntarily gives himself to be crucified.

Jesus did not condemn Peter:

Remember the resurrection day?

Mark 16:7

But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”

Special mention to Peter.

The story of Peter doesn’t end with the denial at the firelight at the dark of night, but the restoration of Peter at the firelight at the dawn of the day.

Recovery of Peter

• In John 21, Peter says, “I am going fishing.”
• They did not catch any fish.
• A stranger in the shore asked, “How is your fishing?” They said, “Nothing.” He said, “Go the other side.” We might as well, we never caught anything. Now they cannot even contain the fish they are bringing in.

That was Jesus, he is risen to life again. Peter is out of the boat with a shock. We find him at breakfast with Jesus beside the fire and what does Jesus say to Peter?

“Peter, I have got 3 questions for you:”

Question 1: Do you love me?

Question 2: Do you love me?

Question 3: Do you love me?

Yes. That is all I need to know Peter. Now go and live for me, take care of my sheep.

• His 3-fold denial is met with an opportunity for a 3-fold affirmation.
• Here on the beach by the power of God the canvas of his life is drawn from the dark to dawn.
• Peter’s life is not defined by the encounter in the courtyard but it is marked by the encounter in the courtyard.

The reason that it will be significant is not in Peter saying, “What a mess I made of myself in the courtyard,” but in order that Peter might be able to say, “When I was lost, you came and rescued me.” You reached down into the pit and lifted me. I am the denier. I deserve to face the punishment. I deserve to bear those nails, but you bore them for me. You took my punishment so that I might enjoy your forgiveness.”

Peter, strengthen the brethren.

Now, Peter’s denial comes to us from all the 4 gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John. Mark was the first gospel written and Matthew and Luke uses Mark as reference to write their gospels. Scholars tell us that Mark’s primary source of his material is Peter himself. Peter was not hesitant to talk about his own failure.

Can you imagine Peter telling Mark rereading his own life? “I was so proud of myself. I did great exploits with Jesus. I was so sure that I would do fine. I got to tell you that I collapsed. I denied Jesus. I denied Jesus and I failed Mark.”

Time goes by. He is now writing to the scattered Christians of his day.

1 Peter 5. He gives counsel to elders of the church and younger men to submit to the older men. He then says:

1 Peter 5:5:5b-7

⁵All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud

but shows favor to the humble.”

⁶Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

I was not humble. I was proud, audacious but I failed. I have now learned to cast all my anxiety on Jesus.

1 Peter 5:5:8-10

⁸Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ⁹Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

¹⁰And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore (he has seen that restoration) you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. ¹¹To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

We saw: Audacity, Disloyalty, & Recovery of Peter. Peter was restored. He was firm and steadfast.

God who restored Peter is the God who restores all repentant sinners. Jesus who knew Peter, knew his vulnerability, is the Jesus who knows you and knows me. God is the God who restores even the years that the locusts have eaten.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, Peter’s denial of Jesus was a moment of brokenness that ultimately led to his spiritual maturity. Through his experience, Peter learned the upside down: embracing brokenness as a pathway to spiritual maturity. When we experience brokenness in our own lives, we can learn to recognize our own weaknesses, seek repentance and forgiveness, and allow God to use our brokenness for His glory. May we all have the courage to embrace our brokenness and trust in God’s plan for our lives.