Being Good Friday, there was a devotional set this afternoon in the prayer room that explored Peter's denial of Christ. It was excellent, and made me think of these beautiful words which I re-read today and decided to share here:
"Consider how Christ looked on Peter, once he had denied Jesus. Was it a repelling look, a look of rejection? No. It was a look such as a mother gives her child when the child is in danger due to its own indiscretion. Was Peter in danger, then? Alas, we do not understand how serious it is for one to betray his friend.
But in the passion of anger or hurt the injured friend cannot see that it is the denier who is in danger. Yet the Savior saw clearly that it was Peter who was in danger, not Him, and that it was Peter who needed saving. The Savior of the world did not make the mistake of regarding His cause as lost because Peter did not hurry to help Him. Rather, He saw Peter as lost if he did not hurry to save him.
Christ's love for Peter was so boundless that in loving Peter he accomplished loving the person one sees. He did not say, 'Peter, you must first change and become another man before I can love you again.' No, he said just the opposite: 'Peter, you are Peter and I love you; love, if anything, will help you to become a different person.'
Christ did not break off His friendship with Peter, and then renew it again when Peter had become a different man. No, He preserved the friendship and in this way helped Peter to become a different man. Do you think that Peter would have ever been won again without such faithful love?"
- Soren Kierkegaard, Provocations
The Love of God is truly a beautiful thing.
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