An Imperfect Disciple

⁵⁴ After they arrested Jesus, they led him away and brought him to the high priest’s house. Peter followed from a distance. ⁵⁵ When they lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. ⁵⁶ Then a servant woman saw him sitting in the firelight. She stared at him and said, “This man was with him too.” ⁵⁷ But Peter denied it, saying, “Woman, I don’t know him!” ⁵⁸ A little while later, someone else saw him and said, “You are one of them too.” But Peter said, “Man, I’m not!” ⁵⁹ An hour or so later, someone else insisted, “This man must have been with him, because he is a Galilean too.” ⁶⁰ Peter responded, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about!” At that very moment, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. ⁶¹ The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter, and Peter remembered the Lord’s words: “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” ⁶² And Peter went out and cried uncontrollably.