What Does Peter's Denial of the Lord Teach us in Matthew 26:69-75?

       Peter always thought he could outdo the rest.  The Lord even called him on it when He told Peter that he would deny Him three times.  You would think this would be enough of a heads up for him. I was just reading about that in Chapter 69 of the Life-Study of Matthew , and Witness Lee points out that it seems Peter was a bit too confident that he could stand by the Lord no matter what.  He was cocky like the rooster the Lord had predicted would crow three times.  

     The question in my mind many times has been why did the Lord let him fail?  A few years ago I heard a message on this passage that touched me-- the brother shared that Peter’s story is our story. The Lord used this situation to expose Peter’s natural confidence.  

      I learned that something broke in him when he failed so miserably. In the same way the Lord will often brings us into a sovereign situation that totally shatters our self-confidence and causes us to rely more deeply on the Lord.  I really like these closing thoughts of Witness Lee on pages 800-801:

 We should not read this account merely as a story about Peter, for it reveals that it is impossible for our natural life to enter into the kingdom.  Because we all are the same as Peter, we should not try to follow the pathway into the kingdom by our natural life.  No matter what kind of mind or will we may have, we cannot succeed. The test will come that will fully expose us, … Praise the Lord there is still the way of repentance, of weeping, and confessing that brings in the Lord’s forgiveness and His further visitation.  For the kingdom, we must have another life and be another person.  Only after we have passed through all the tests and have suffered all the defeats and failures will we realize our need for another life”(Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Matthew. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1977, Print).

 This chapter turned this whole story around in my mind--Peter's experience is really our experience.  And I'm so glad it's recorded in the Bible because it gives me hope that God can pick up the broken pieces of our failures and defeats and still use us. 
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Other blogs on the Life Study of Matthew:

You can listen to excerpts from the Life Study of Matthew along with excellent commentary by tuning into the Life Study of the Bible with Witness Lee.    

Do You Skip the Genealogy in Matthew?
What is the Focus of the Gospel of Matthew?
What is the Sermon on the Mount Really About? (Part 1)
What is the Sermon on the Mount Really About?  (Part 2)
Why is the Crucial Significance of Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13?
How Does Jesus Calm the Stormy Sea in Matthew 8:23-27?
How Does the Great Physician Heal our Hearts in Matthew 9:12?
Have You Seen the Battle Between the Two Kingdoms in Matthew 12:26-28?
What is the Connection Between the Kingdom & the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:3-23?
What is the Significance of the Parables on the Treasure & the Pearl of Great Value in Matthew 13:44-46?
What is Walking By Faith All About in Matthew 14:22-33?
What Lesson Did Peter Learn on the Mount of Transfiguration in Matthew 17:1-13?
How Does Matthew 18 and 19 Relate to the Kingdom?
What Does Peter's Denial of the Lord Teach us in Matthew 26:69-75?