Dcn Brigid Waszczak
Jesus said to Peter… “I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” And he said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!” Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day, until you have denied three times that you know me.” —Luke 22: 31-38
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
What struck me in this passage is that Jesus knew Peter would deny him, yet he prayed for him. Jesus prayed that Peter’s faith would not leave him completely after his betrayal. He predicted Peter’s return (to Jesus) and relied upon him to sustain the other disciples’ faith. Jesus prayed for his betrayer prior to that betrayal! Jesus not only prayed for him, but assured Peter of forgiveness. Peter, the “rock” upon whom Jesus and the disciples will depend in their grief and loss after the Crucifixion, was prayed for, forgiven, and given an important role before his treachery.
I have been betrayed more often than I care to remember. Some instances caused incredible pain, though nothing on the scale of Peter’s betrayal of Jesus. Praying for my betrayer was not high on my prayer priority list. Indeed, it took a very long time (and therapy) before I could even imagine praying for those who caused me pain. That Jesus prayed for Peter before his denial stuns me. And…Jesus forgave Peter ahead of the incident! In my case, forgiveness lagged far behind praying for my betrayer.
Most often we skip over Jesus’ words to Peter about prayer, forgiveness, and return because Peter’s hasty response and heartbreaking bravado leap off the page at us. But when we do that we miss the empathy, compassion, and mercy gifted to Peter by Jesus ahead of his public denial. We overlook that Jesus looked forward to Peter’s repenting and that he had already forgiven him. Jesus’ response to Peter’s upcoming epic fail was not to point it out or to shame him, but to help Peter realize his denial would not end their relationship.
The betrayals I experienced severed relationships or damaged them significantly. Unlike Jesus, I cannot move beyond broken trust. That is a human response. While I strive to emulate Jesus, I know I will not achieve perfection in this life. I can, however, learn from this passage: pray for those who betray me or cause me pain; forgive, even if the relationship and trust do not survive the event; “strengthen my brothers (sisters)” who have endured betrayals, grief, and loss; and not shame others for betraying me.
Blessings,
—Dcn Brigid