In John 18:16–32, a powerful scene unfolds before our eyes. While Jesus faces injustice with dignity, Peter, on the other hand, faces another battle: the battle within his own heart.
He loves Jesus. He walked with Him. He promised he would never abandon Him.
And yet… he denies Him. Not once, but three times.
Why?
Not only because of fear, but also because of pressure, the eyes of others… and perhaps a sense of shame at being associated with someone who has become “problematic,” arrested, accused, publicly exposed.
Even today, this still happens.
We can deny:
a friend,
an acquaintance,
a brother, a sister,
even a member of our own family…
Not only out of fear, but also because that person is involved in a scandal or going through a situation that damages their image.
So we distance ourselves.
We avoid.
We look away.
We pretend not to know them.
And sometimes… we deny them.
Has this ever happened to you?
Have you ever failed to defend someone?
Stayed silent when you could have spoken?
Stepped back to protect your reputation?
Being denied… is a deep pain.
Especially when it comes from:
someone close,
someone you trusted,
someone from whom you expected support.
It is in those moments — when everything is going wrong, when one is exposed, when one is vulnerable — that the need for presence, compassion, and help is the greatest.
And yet… that is often when people disappear.
But the Word of God calls us to go against the current:
“Carry one another’s burdens, and so shall you fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)
“Console one another and build up one another, just as you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
God does not call us to run away from those who fall, but to lift them up.
He does not call us to protect our image, but to demonstrate His love.
Today, this message challenges us:
Will we be like Peter, overcome by fear and shame?
Or will we choose to be present, even when it is difficult?
For to truly love
is to remain…
even when it is uncomfortable.
PRAYER:
Lord, forgive me for the times I have run away, stayed silent, or denied others out of fear or shame.
Give me a courageous heart, able to support, love, and remain faithful, even in difficult moments.
Teach me to carry others, just as You carry me each day.
Amen.
Apostle Dr. Jean-Claude SINDAYIGAYA