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14:68 But he said, I have no knowledge of him, or of what you are saying: and he went out into the doorway; and there came the cry of a cock.
14:69 And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is [one] of them. 14:70 And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art [one] of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth [thereto]. 14:71 But he began to curse and to swear, [saying], I know not this man of whom ye speak. 14:72 And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.
Peter denies the Lord the first time, just as Jesus had warned him that he would. On cue, the rooster crows as if God is trying to stir Peter's soul to a new-found fortitude or to remind him of his failure that has just begun to unfold. As the verses that follow show, Peter does not awaken from his spiritual slumber. He continues down the path of denial and abandonment that was begun in the Garden of Gethsemane. How many times have we been caught in the lure of sin or the spiral of spiritual weakness and not heeded the Lord's warning and not found his way of escape?
Oh God, forgive me for not heeding your warnings, for not summoning my courage, for not asking for your Spirit's power, and for not taking your way of escape. Strengthen me by your Spirit, I pray, and open my eyes to see your way through my times of temptation and sin. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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