The Rooster Crows

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
Matthew 26:69-75

I have spent a lot of time in places where the crow of the rooster is a part of daily life. I often travel to Malawi where roosters serve as an early morning alarm clock. It’s a sound that can’t be ignored. Church tradition has it that for the rest of his life the crow of a rooster brought tears to the eyes of the Apostle Peter. Based on my experience with roosters that would have been a lot of tears! But I can believe that is how Peter felt. He had spent several years with Jesus, seen his miracles, and heard his teaching and yet he turned his back on his Master. The knowledge that he had denied his Messiah must have been devastating. In that moment of pressure, Peter lost his courage.

Like the crow of the rooster, the failure of believers to verbalize their faith in a hostile environment is a regular occurrence. More and more we feel cultural pressure to deny Christ. In most cases we don’t say “I don’t know the man,” but we deny him with our silence. There is growing pressure in our culture to stay anonymous and not offend someone through the very mention of his name. On the other hand, we should avoid sharing our faith in a loud and shrill manner that can be as obnoxious as a rooster. Peter’s life reminds us of the shame of denying Christ and of his abundant grace. In this week, may we live by that grace and learn to acknowledge our faith with authenticity and love.

For Reflection

Have you ever felt pressure to deny Christ?
In what ways might you share your faith with authenticity and love?

Prayer

Lord, help us to know when to speak and when to be silent. Give us wisdom and discernment in our conversations with those that don’t know you. Help us to live our life with truth and grace. Give us the opportunity on this day to share your love with our words and our actions. Amen.