25 - I will never desert you

I will never desert you

Later in the upper room, predicting all their denials, Jesus quotes Zechariah 13:7 to the disciples, “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.” They all deny that this is possible. They have devoted years of their lives to this man, they would never abandon him in one night en masse.   Peter especially takes great offense in this. 

Going back to the donatists, usually the self preservation instinct trumps all else. This is not necessarily a bad thing. God created us with this instinct, and despite many interpretations otherwise, does not direct us to go against our nature, only refine it. The disciples have no idea of the trauma that they are about to face and could never prepare for it. So their response is both expected and excusable.

For Peter this is not simply about his loyalty being questioned. Jesus is their leader, the face of power for him. Weakness in front of power is sinful. Since as power, it deserves solidarity. Peter is disturbed that there is the possibility that reality could seep in and he could actually deny Christ in real world conditions.

The house of cards holding up Peter’s ideas about power is beginning to collapse