A Disciple's JourneySample

The Path to Failure

Shame

The third element of Peter’s failure was shame at being associated with the Lord. Peter had signed up to follow Jesus. Jesus had told Peter that following him meant taking up his cross. But as the cross drew closer, Peter began following “at a distance” (Mark 14:54). Then he denied even knowing Jesus at all (Mark 14:66–72). Three times people asked if he knew Jesus, and three times he adamantly denied that he did. This was after three years of spending every moment together. Peter had left everything to follow Jesus. He went all in. And now he was pretending and even swearing that he didn’t know Jesus. The shame of following an arrested Messiah, a Messiah headed to death row, was more than he could handle.

For a long time in our culture, it has been expected and even commended to say that you follow Jesus. In a predominantly Christian culture, there’s no shame in claiming the name of Jesus. But even just in the last decade or so, things have changed drastically in America. Now, Christian faith can be construed as a mark on your character or a source of suspicion. In many circles, “Christian” is associated with being narrow-minded, bigoted, unaccepting, and old-fashioned. The shame of the cross has returned. This leaves us facing a temptation similar to the one Peter faced. Peter feared for his life, but we might fear for our reputation or our bank accounts. When it comes down to it, if being associated with Jesus could hurt your chances of getting a job or receiving a promotion, what would you do? If it meant losing a friend or being marginalized, what would your reaction be? That sense of shame, that desire to withdraw, was what hit Peter and caused him to stumble.