But go, tell his disciples - and Peter

​For anyone who's ever felt overlooked or rejected my recent slow reading of Mark's gospel offers hope. I say slow reading of Mark because I'd not really got the energy for a quick read - nor an extended one. More a chapter a day whilst allowing the passage to reveal whatever insight might be helpful of which there were several like this one in chapter sixteen.  

As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you’” (Mark 16:5-7).

Peter is a notable character in the gospels. Forthright, assertive - presumptuous even. He's the leader of the group - the one who is always willing to speak out. On one occasion when Jesus questioned his disciples as to whether they might dessert him along with the rest of the crowd, his response, ahead of the others was: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69).

Peter is driven by his convictions. Later when it came to answering the question, ‘Who do people say I am?’ He’s not backward at coming forward. 

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:13-16).

Peter is doing well. His ability to receive revelation, to put himself forward as spokesperson and his willingness to step out of the boat (you remember that story) shows someone courageous and determined. There is much to be admired here. Ever since Jesus called him from fishing on the Sea of Galilee he’s not really looked back. His strength is on show for all to see. And it’s at this point of courage where we can often draw comparisons. How would we have done alongside him? What might we have been able to achieve given the same circumstances? And we’re his story to conclude here we could easily have been left with one picture - but it’s not. 

In my reading of Mark, we have the ‘man dressed in white’ giving a message for Peter and it’s laden with meaning. When the women at the tomb are told to go and tell the disciples of Jesus the risen one there is one name specifically mentioned from amongst the disciples and it’s Peter. 

Something has happened that has caused him to be named in the story - a trauma so significant - so scary, so soul destroying that Peter is in danger of becoming lost to his own shame. Most of us know this part of Peter’s story.  He has denied Jesus in an act of betrayal - something he thought he could never do. Peter saw himself as stronger than he was and wasn’t comfortable with his weakness - as most of us aren’t. His lack of self-awareness deceived him - leading him to believe he could achieve where others failed. The narrative from Matthew’s gospel reads.

‘Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you” (Matthew 26:31-35 ).

Peter’s attitude of bravado is very appealing. We are taught from childhood of the need to be strong and Peter’s earlier rejection by the other Rabbis not to choose him to be their disciple left him to make a living in the family business with much to prove - and this moment, culminating in Jesus’ arrest affords the opportunity to do it. 

What’s admirable is his simple act of conviction. On the one hand he believes he’s strong enough but on the other takes no time to reflect on the side of himself which can faint with fear when life slips from his control. 

‘Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said. But he denied it before them all. “I don't know what you're talking about,” he said. Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”  He denied it again, with an oath: “I don't know the man!” After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.” Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don't know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed’ (Matthew 26:69-74).

Jesus has told him how he will disown him - of how three times he will slip further and deeper into the side of Peter he wishes to deny exists and the reality of his weakness is compounded by each act of betrayal. And then the rooster crows. 

‘Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly’ (Matthew 26:75).

I imagine we’ve all had moments when the rooster has crowed and the reality of some part of life giving out under pressure, renders us impotent in the face of fear. It’s a dark and difficult place and the gospels leave us in little doubt as to Peter’s emotional state. He didn’t just weep - he wept bitterly: It tells you everything you need to about his state of mind at this point and throws real light onto why Peter is named by the man dressed in white in our Mark reading. There are times when we can’t simply be part of the group - when the words spoken are collective; sometimes we need to be addressed by name - and this is one such time. 

Peter’s descent into spiralling failure is something the writer is quick to pick up on. He is not named to be shamed but restored - to be brought back, drawn out of his despair to a place of hope. We need something deeply reassuring to raise us from our bitter weeping. His failure hangs heavy in his soul and somehow, he needs to come to terms with his weakness as well as his strength if he is to be truly whole. It's a painful lesson for him to learn as failure disconnects him from the familiar patterns of life and community sending him into isolation and hiding. He needs to know he's not forgotten or rejected and for this he needs to hear the mention of his name from those with the power to restore him and Mark ensures it is spoken here - as the news of resurrection breaks and the new creation is born the man in white wants Peter to know he is included in this story. 

This idea of naming goes to the heart of the Christian story. We have not been forgotten or overlooked - no one is invisible before God. The Old Testament puts it this way:

 “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
    and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
    I will not forget you!
16 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
    your walls are ever before me” (Isaiah 49:15-16).

Peter’s story reminds us that we are not loved because of the great things we have done - we are loved because God’s heart to each of us is paternal. He loves us because we are his children - and that applies to each of us, you, me, and Peter. 

---