The Words That Hurt

Matthew 26:69-75 describes what Peter went through as Jesus was being beaten. Three times someone within the crowd that had gathered pointed Peter out and revealed to everyone his connection to Jesus. With each attempt to unmask his true identity, Peter became more and more outrageous in his denial of ever knowing Jesus. Finally it is said in verse 24 that “he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!”

Peter was afraid of the large crowd and what they may do to him if it was discovered that he was a student of Jesus. Peter had to do something to separate himself from the man on the other side of the courtyard being spit on and whipped and he had to do it quick. So Peter did the only thing he could think of and that was to begin to curse and swear as loud as he could; the thought behind this being that if Jesus was who he proclaimed to be, than no follower of the Son of God would dare say such vile and disgusting words. The same connections are just as easily destroyed by us today when we proclaim our love for Jesus one moment and let loose a string of curse words the next. Whether it be while singing along to the radio or quoting a line from a movie or stubbing our toe on the coffee table and lashing out in a fit of rage, when the outside world hears us who profess our love for Christ and then say those same words Peter used that day in Gethsemane; the same affect is achieved…and the same betrayal is repeated.