Tuesday, December 18

Isaiah 9:1-7

Psalms 45, 47, and 48

2 Peter 1:12-21

Luke 22:54-69

 Then a servant-girl, seeing him in the firelight, stared at him and said,

“This man also was with him.” But he denied it, saying,
“Woman, I do not know him.”  A little later someone else, on seeing him,
said, “You also are one of them.”  But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”
Then about an hour later yet another kept insisting, “Surely this man
also was with him; for he is a Galilean.” But Peter said,

“Man, I do not know what you are talking about!” Luke 22: 56-60

Two young men grew up together, played together went to school together and joined the Army together.  They were close enough to be brothers – yet one was African American and the other Anglo.  One night they went off the Army base.  They went to a bar and enjoyed their time together.  One got into an altercation with another man.  The fight ended and the friends continued to party.  As they left the bar, men were waiting for them outside.  They were after blood and went after the young man who was in the fight inside.  As they were beating him, one of the gang members turned and pointed to the friend and shouted out, “Hey, he is this guy’s friend!”  Some of the gang members approached the friend and the friend said….

What would you say?  Peter said that he did not know Jesus.  Peter - one of the closest friends of Jesus, the one who Jesus said on whom he would build His Church, the one who had been with Jesus from the beginning – denied that he even knew Jesus.  It was easier for Peter to say that he did not know Jesus than to say that he was a follower.  Peter was afraid.  Peter thought of his own hide rather than to speak of his friendship and love of Jesus.

What about us?  Is it easier for us to act as if we do not know Jesus than to expose ourselves as lovers of Jesus?  During this season of preparing for the birth of Jesus, may we look at ourselves and decide whether our relationship with Jesus is worth the risks of the world.

Fr. John R. Pitts