Peter saith to him: Why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thee.
λεγει αυτω πετρος κυριε δια τι ου δυναμαι σοι ακολουθησαι αρτι την ψυχην μου υπερ σου θησω
12 Church Fathers comment on this verse
And even when he heard, “Afterward you will follow Me,” he did not restrain his desire. Though he had received the hope he longed for, he desired it so much that he said: “Why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for You.” Since he had already been freed from the fear of betrayal and saw himself among the sincere disciples, he now asks with boldness, while the others are silent.
But Peter is so unrestrained in his zeal that he contradicts even Christ. He is not satisfied with receiving the good hope that he will follow Christ afterward, but insists on his own will and says confidently: “Why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for You.” See the strength of his desire. Peter had heard the Lord say that “greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13). Therefore he himself strives toward this degree and desires to attain the very highest love. For this reason he promises to lay down his life for the Lord.
What, he says, prevents or does not permit someone to follow You if his aim is to die for the Teacher and he counts this a praiseworthy deed? The end of every danger and the limit of the persecutors' unbridled cruelty extend only to the flesh, for death has power only against it.
The Apostle Peter had already resolved and prepared himself for this. Who, he says, could hinder him, or how could anyone destroy his firm resolve to follow? Peter's readiness is fervent, and his promise to follow Christ exceeds every measure.
From this one may see no small power dwelling in him, which the events that followed also revealed. Yet the following must be taken into consideration.
While our Savior Christ, both above and below, indicates His ascent into the heavens and says that Peter will not follow Him now, yet will follow afterward, evidently after the completion of his apostolic ministry, when the proper time comes for the calling of the saints into the City above, Peter promises to be ready even to undergo death.
It is as though he is going by another path and proceeding without being guided by the direct meaning of Christ's words. I think he says this because he did not understand precisely the meaning of these words.
Perhaps he thinks that the Lord will go either to villages more savage than those of the Jews, or even to other nations. Hearing His preaching, they may be so hardened against His words that the boldness of the other Jews will appear altogether insignificant, and the fury proper to the Pharisees will seem entirely mild.
For this reason he promises to follow Him unswervingly, not only to die, but, if necessary, to die without any hesitation.
Something similar to this occurred earlier, and I shall mention it again. Once, when Christ withdrew from the madness of the Jews, from their unrestrained rage and unbridled tongue, He began to walk through the regions of Galilee. By His miracles He stirred up great wonder at Himself among them.
When the brother of Mary and Martha, I mean Lazarus, died, He again knew it as God. Then He said to the disciples: "Lazarus, our friend, has fallen asleep; but I go that I may awaken him" (Jn 11:11).
To this the disciples, out of love for Him, said to Him: "The Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?" (Jn 11:8). When the Lord insisted and commanded that they return to the land of the Jews, "Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to the other fellow disciples: Let us also go, that we may die with Him" (Jn 11:16).
I think Peter's words contain the same purpose. Perhaps he thinks, as I have said before, that Christ will go somewhere to preach and will there be in danger.
Therefore Peter himself, bound to Him by inseparable love, promises to show an invincible and unshakable eagerness for this. He says that nothing at all remains that has power to hinder him, since he has already resolved to follow, even if death for the Teacher awaits him.
"Why are you hastening, Peter? The Rock has not yet strengthened you by His Spirit. Do not be exalted in self-confidence. You cannot now. But do not fall into despair: afterward you shall follow Me."
But what does he still say? "Why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my soul for You." He saw how great the desire was in his soul, but he did not see the measure of his strength.
A weak man expressed his will, but the Physician knew his condition. Peter promised, and He foresaw. The one who did not know showed resolve, and the One who foresaw instructed.
How much Peter took upon himself, seeing his desire and not seeing his strength! How much Peter took upon himself! The Lord had come to lay down His soul for His friends, and therefore for him.
Yet Peter was confident that he would do the same for the Lord. Before Christ had yet laid down His soul for him, he promised to lay down his own soul for Christ.
What are you doing, Peter? When the Savior says, “You cannot,” you say, “Why can I not?” Experience will later teach you not to contradict.
What struck the disciples most and made the deepest impression on them were His words about His separation from them. Peter, in confusion, asked Him: "Where then are You going, Lord?"
In reply Jesus explained His words to him somewhat: "Where I go, you cannot go now; but afterward," the Lord added, "you shall go." By this He indicated that one day Peter would receive the strength, which he did not yet have, to imitate Him in sufferings.
Bold and ready for swift self-sacrifice, Peter was not satisfied with this consolation concerning the future. Not recognizing his powerlessness, he wished to follow Him now, thinking that he had the strength for it. "I will give my life for You, Lord," he said.
Then the Lord foretold his threefold denial of Him before the rooster would call, that is, before midnight.
The Knower of hearts knew this weak side of Peter. He knew what would happen within a few hours to this burning zeal. "Will you lay down your life for Me, and now? Little time remains until midnight, and in this time you will manage to deny Me three times."
From the farewell discourse of Jesus Christ with the disciples, the first three Evangelists transmit only the prediction of dangers: temptation for all the Apostles and denial for Peter. In the Evangelist John this is found in the section Jn 13:31-38.
As is evident from this latter passage, this prediction was occasioned by Peter's question: "Lord, where are You going?" After answering this question, that Peter cannot follow Him now but will follow afterward (v. 36), the Lord receives a new question from Peter: "Lord, why can I not follow You now?" (v. 37).
In response to this He begins to foretell what will happen to the disciples and to Peter now: "Simon, Simon! Behold, Satan asked to sift you as wheat" (Lk 22:31 and following).
As the Lord, who knows the mysteries of the spiritual world, sees, Satan asked God for permission to deal with the disciples in a way similar to Job. In the impending dangers to their faith, he sought not only to leave them to themselves, but also to hand them over to his influence.
He assured that he would completely destroy their bond with Christ and with one another, disturbing and scattering them like wheat driven across a field. "But," the Lord says, "I have prayed that your faith may not fail."
This means that Peter most of all needed this intercession of Jesus Christ. A particularly great danger of temptation lay before him.
Having said this, Jesus Christ further foretells Peter's denial, and at the same time his conversion, as the fruit of Christ's intercession for him before God. At the same time the Lord foretells temptation for all the disciples.
He says that they will need Peter's encouraging example, which will strengthen their faith (Lk 22:31-32).
Revealing this danger for all the disciples, Jesus Christ says directly that all of them will be scandalized because of Him that night. Then the prophecy about the death of the Messiah and the confusion of His followers over it will be fulfilled (Zech 13:7).
But at once He also consoled the disciples by foretelling His Resurrection and His appearance to them in Galilee: "I shall be struck. But before you return home after the feast to Galilee, whence you came with Me to Jerusalem for Passover, I shall already go before you there" (Mt 26:31-32; Mk 14:27-28).
Then Peter begins to assure Him that, even if all are scandalized, he will not be scandalized and is ready to lay down his soul for his Teacher. All the disciples said the same. In response, the Lord gives Peter a direct prediction of his threefold denial (Mt 26:33-35; Mk 14:29-31; Lk 22:33-34; Jn 13:37-38).
The strong desire to follow Jesus at all costs, wherever He might go, gave Peter the boldness to declare this to Him at once. “Lord,” he objected, “why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for You.”
But Peter was not satisfied with this. He wished at all costs to go where the Teacher was going. When the self-willed disciple began to insist with self-confidence that no obstacles could keep him from following his Teacher, and that he would "lay down his soul for Him," the Savior rebuked this self-confidence by foretelling that, before the rooster had time to crow, he would deny Him three times.
Having revealed still more clearly to the disciples the horrors that awaited Him, the Savior foretold that all of them would abandon Him that night and be scattered. Yet He would meet them in Galilee after the Resurrection.
That the Apostles had not yet been permeated by the spirit of Christ's teaching, and that even on the eve of His sufferings and death they did not clearly understand what separation from them Christ was speaking of, is shown by the dispute into which the Apostle Peter entered with Christ.
"Simon Peter said to Him, Lord, where are You going? Jesus answered him, Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but afterward," that is, when you are established in faith and understand the meaning of the events that have taken place, "you shall follow Me."
Not clearly understanding, yet sensing with a loving heart that some danger threatened the Teacher in the coming days, the Apostle Peter ardently objects: "Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my soul for You."
But Christ, before whose spiritual gaze the future was clear and open, interrupts the outpouring of love and devotion from the Apostle Peter. He shows him that his feelings, lacking roots in firm and boundless faith, will not endure the coming grievous trial.
Jesus answered him: "Will you lay down your soul for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you: the rooster will not crow," that is, before midnight, when roosters begin to crow, "until you have denied Me three times."
Love for the beloved Teacher and Lord spoke this through Peter’s tongue. Yet it was a love that did not yet know itself by experience, a love not free from self-confidence, a love untested by struggle with temptations. Peter understood what the Lord was saying to him, but he in no way wished to accept what was not entirely pleasing to self-love. It was said, “You cannot,” and said by Him who knows better than we do what we are capable of. But Peter says, “I can.” Such is love not strengthened by the experiences of spiritual life. For this reason those experienced in spiritual life do not advise young ascetics to take much upon themselves, and they restrain the impulses of their zeal.
John Chrysostom says beautifully: "What are you saying, Peter? Christ says, You cannot, and you say, I can! Therefore you will learn by experience itself that your love without help from above is nothing."
Peter's question arose from the most ardent love for the Lord and from a sincere desire to go after Him wherever it might be. It was not merely a wish to know where the Lord was departing. Therefore the Lord answers not his words, but his thought, saying: "You cannot follow now; but afterward you shall follow Me."
Yet Peter expressed a certain self-reliance. Therefore, "the Lord, restraining his impulse, left him for a time without help during the temptation and denial, so that he might know his own weakness," as Chrysostom says.
This is one of the most important indications for the practical moral life of the Christian. He cannot act by his own strength, mind, or love, however strong it may be. All his moral powers are insignificant if the grace of God does not strengthen them.
The Christian's chief task is to submit to God's commands, to fulfill His laws of love, and to place all his hope in God. From Him alone he must expect help in his weaknesses.
When God's will has been revealed to him, the Christian must consciously renounce his own will. This is a great ascetic labor, but one must strive for it unceasingly.
Concerning Peter's question, "Lord, where are You going?" there exists a very touching and very ancient tradition. It is found in the so-called Histoire apostolique d'Abdias dans les Apochryptes (Bibl. Theol. De Migne), book 2, ch. 19, col. 713. The Apostolic History of Abdias was apparently written in the tenth century, but its compiler probably used an ancient tradition.
It relates that Peter, fleeing Nero's persecutions, was leaving Rome and met the Lord in the flesh. Then, turning to the Lord, he repeated the same words to Him: "Lord, where are You going?" The Lord answered: "Follow Me. I am going to Rome to be crucified again."
And Peter returned to Rome and sealed his faith with his blood.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 18 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS