Matthew 26:72Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Remarkably, he did not immediately recognize his fall. As Luke narrates, Jesus fixed His gaze on him (Lk. 22:61), meaning that not only did he deny his Lord, but even at the moment the rooster crowed, he lacked the awareness of his sin until the Teacher provided a reminder through His look — serving as a voice of reproof. Fear overwhelmed him! Mark states that the rooster crowed at Peter’s first denial and crowed again after his third (Mark 14:68-72), indicating the disciple's frailty and shock from his terror, insights which Mark, being a companion of Peter, learned directly from him. Therefore, it is even more astonishing that he not only disclosed his teacher’s fall but did so with greater clarity than others, precisely because he was a disciple.

So how can Matthew’s account hold true when he asserts Jesus said, "Truly I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times" (Matthew 26:34), while Mark notes the rooster crows a second time following the denials (Mark 14:72)? This can be reconciled without contradiction. Roosters are known to crow multiple times in a night; Mark references this to illustrate that even the crowing did not deter Peter from his fall nor jog his memory concerning his pledge. Thus, both accounts are valid. Peter denied his Lord three times before the rooster completed its first crowing. And when Christ reminded him of his betrayal, he felt too ashamed to weep openly, fearing that his tears would lead to accusations, so he left and wept bitterly.

And he denied again, swearing that he did not know this Man. I have encountered individuals who, in their reverence for the apostle Peter, have attempted to clarify this text in such a manner that Peter did not reject God but man, meaning that what he expressed was 'I do not recognize this man, for I know God.' Yet, the wise reader understands how superficial such an explanation is, as those who defend Peter in this way inadvertently accuse the Lord of falsehood. If Peter truly did not repudiate Him, then the Lord was deceiving when He said, 'Verily I say unto thee, that this night, before the cock crows, thou shalt deny Me thrice.' Notice that He asserts, 'You shall deny Me,' rather than 'You shall deny a man.'

Certainly, you are one of them; your speech bears witness against you. Peter did not speak another language nor was he from a different nation; they were all Jews—both the one asking and the one answering. However, each region had distinct dialects, and Peter revealed himself through his unique manner of speaking. For instance, the Ephraimites in the Book of Judges struggled to articulate the word ’shibboleth.’ Then he began to invoke oaths and insist that he did not know this man. At that moment, a rooster crowed. In another Gospel, we read that after Peter’s denial and the crowing of the cock, the Savior gazed at him, and that look caused him to weep profusely. It cannot be that Peter, upon whom the Light of the World cast His gaze, would linger in the shadows of denial.

While Mark does not record the exact wording of Peter's answer, he notes that Peter denied it once more when presumed to be one of them (Mark 14:70). This indicates that the evangelist prioritized truth over justification. In denying his association with them, Peter did not reject Christ. He denied being among the disciples but did not reject divine grace. He denied being one of those with the Galilean (Matt. 26:69), but he never denied his connection with the Son of God.

This is both God and Man, from whom you requested to walk on the waters and who rescued you from peril (Matt. 14:29-31). While the Lord's gaze was upon you, you declared, “I will not be shaken” (Psalm 29:7) — yet as soon as He averted His eyes, you began to deny, “He turned away His face, and I was troubled” (Psalm 29:8). Jesus speaks to Sirach: “He is a friend for a time and shares companionship at a meal, but will not remain with you in moments of distress” (Sirach 6:8, 10). While Saint Peter was partaking at the table of joyous reflection, he exhibited loyalty. However, when adversity arose for Christ the Savior, he chose to reject Him, for “He shall not remain in the time of trouble.”

He thought that, with everyone preoccupied with the Divine Sufferer, he might have been overlooked, but suddenly, he heard someone nearby emphatically stating to the officials and guards, "Surely this one was with Him, for he is a Galilean." The other guards supported this claim, as the Galilean accent was distinct to all, and they were aware that Jesus' disciples hailed from Galilee.

One of them, noticing Peter sitting near the fire, approached him and scrutinized him closely before announcing to those nearby, “This man was with Him,” then turned to Peter and said, “You were also with Jesus of Galilee, the Nazarene.” This passionate and devoted disciple, who had recently declared his willingness to die for the Master (John 13:37) and had attempted to defend Him with a sword (John 18:10), now found himself paralyzed by fear, forgetting his vows and succumbing to human frailty. The maid's words drew everyone's attention, and Peter, eager to escape danger, acted in what he thought was the most prudent manner under the circumstances: he denied Christ publicly and replied to the woman, “I do not understand, I do not know what you are saying.” Once the crowd was calmed by his denial and the initial threat seemed to have passed, the apostle, determined to avoid further inquiries, quietly withdrew from the group and stepped into the outer courtyard. Here, he faced the foretold warning of the Lord, which, in his confusion and fear, he overlooked: the rooster crowed for the first time.