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Jesus concerning the disciples and the responses of Peter. Jesus
foresaw the weak, yet so courageously standing peter that he
would deny and desert him before the third cock crows. Though
peter emphatically said that we will not forsake, not even under
the threat of death. Jesus told to peter “truly I tell you, before the
night is over you will deny me, not once but Thrice”. The cock
crowing in Matthew is to be understood as referring to a roman
division of the night watch. This thought of threefold denial of
Jesus seemed unimaginable to peter.

Peter’s brave promise was based on his ego and not
resting on a supreme power of God. Hence, a maid’s suspicion
was enough to undo him of his faith. His charge was simple
association with Jesus as an accomplice of the Galilean. He was
caught by his dialect.
Peter was present in core events of Jesus’s ministry and
was given more priority but denied to have known Jesus!. Jesus
called him as Cephas ( living stone ),He was called to be fisher
of men; he first identified Jesus as Messiah, he was sent to find
a place for the last supper, he accompanied Jesus to the garden
of Gethsemane .Peter was indeed the first person to spring into
action, but the same peter was the first to flee away when Jesus
was arrested at gethsemane, followed by the threefold denial.

Here peter’s denial was also a self-denial. Before he
denied a person on whom he had a great reverence he should
have had a heart broken experience. His expectations turned
topsy-turvy. He was afraid of the Roman empire as he was a
victim resisting the manipulating abilities of the empire. So he
couldn’t face them. He started to curse and start saying “I don’t
know this man”.

The empire at present also does the same. It exploits the
vulnerable and weaker minorities and exploit them socially,
politically and economically, leaving them with no chance
to stand. Present day empire makes rich get richer, and the
poor even poorer. The Dalit Christians and Muslims fall into
this category. They need reservation because they are socially,

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Lenten Meditations Re - Imaging People