"And the Lord turned and looked at Peter." [Luke 22:61]
Do you see the full horror in Luke's version of Peter's denial of Christ?
Jesus had predicted that Peter would deny Him that fateful night before the cock crowed thrice. Peter, of course, had most passionately sworn eternal loyalty, yet when the time of testing came failed so miserably.
The other Gospels concentrate on the actions and reactions of Peter as the cock crows and he denies. But not Luke. Luke's Christ - knowing that the third cock crow signals the predicted denial - turns his merciful, sad gaze to his chosen 'rock'. In judgement? Matthew perhaps thought so - there is no more mention of Peter from that moment.
But not Luke. Luke's Christ is weeping for the sorrow of the moment and for the weakness of the man, knowing that he - Peter - will never, never forget or forgive himself that betrayal. (This Peter also weeps for his many and enduring betrayals.)
"Tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam..."
Now what faith was in that? Man to trust God - so simple. But God to trust in a man - how wondrous it is.
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