Daily Devotion

15 Apr – “And when you have turned again”

Audio

Prepare

Today is the 15^th of April, Tuesday in the Holy Week. Let’s gather our scattered thoughts and continue to follow Jesus through this eventful week.

Psalm Reading

We begin by listening to Psalm 27, verses 11 to 14.

¹¹ Teach me your way, O Lord,
    and lead me on a level path
    because of my enemies.
¹² Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
    for false witnesses have risen against me,
    and they breathe out violence.
¹³ I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living!
¹⁴ Wait for the Lord;
    be strong, and let your heart take courage;
    wait for the Lord!

Scripture Reading

We follow Luke’s account of the events after the Passover meal, in Luke 22:24-53. Listening to verses 24 to 26, and then 31 to 34.

²⁴ A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. ²⁵ And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. ²⁶ But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.

³¹ “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, ³² but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” ³³ Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” ³⁴ Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”

Reflection

The movie titled Silence (2016) is set in the late 1500s. This was when Christianity first became banned in Japan. This occurred after a short period of flourishing in Japan’s southern port cities. It shows the actions of the authorities of that time. They searched out and purged Japan of Christians. This included local Japanese or foreigners, missionaries, and priests who did not leave Japan as the imperial edict commanded. 

To identify Christians, the Japanese authorities used the fumi. It was a metal plate embossed with a motif of Christ. This motif could be of His incarnation and birth, shown as the Mother and Child. Alternatively, it could be of His death, depicted as Christ crucified on the Cross.[1]  When Japanese officials entered a village, they lined up all the peasants. They would then present them with the fumi, each one in turn.  If the individual stepped on the fumi without hesitation, he was deemed to be not, or no longer, Christian. He was let go. If he hesitated or refused outright to step on the fumi, he was deemed to be Christian. Consequently, he was taken away, imprisoned, tortured, and executed. 

This “ritual” of identification and persecution of Christians[2] was very vividly portrayed in the movie Silence. The film explored the themes of betrayal, repentance, and forgiveness through the character of Kichijirō. Every time Kichijirō is presented with the fumi, he steps on it without hesitation. Then, he comes back to the priest to confess his sin. He seeks forgiveness. He did this again and again. Finally, he “sold” the priest to the Japanese authorities. He revealed the priest’s hiding place. As a result, the priest was captured. This was not very different from what Judas Iscariot did to Jesus.

“Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.”

Don’t we all think and talk like Peter? That is, until we ourselves are tested.  Sifted, like wheat. And then the truth about ourselves is revealed. The chaff is light as a feather and blown about by every wind of doctrine. The grains are weighty and fall to the ground. In that moment of testing, and fear, even Peter became Kichijirō. Not once. Not twice. But thrice.

“Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” 

Peter eventually fulfilled his promise. He died a martyr, crucified in Rome.

So what caused Peter to respond differently this time round?  

Jesus said, “I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again…”

Repentance. Jesus prayed. Peter turned. We see his turning in John 21:15-17, confessing thrice to match his earlier denials:

¹⁵ When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”

¹⁶ He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”

¹⁷ He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

In this Holy Week, will we turn away from our own rebellious or selfish ways? Will we renew our love for the Lord?
Will we recommit ourselves to the call to strengthen and encourage others?

Collect/Prayer

We offer something a little different today. Informed by Biblical archaeology and Christian tradition, the Church of St Peter in Gallicantu in Jerusalem marks and remembers Peter’s denial of Jesus. It also commemorates the arrest and unlawful trial by the Jewish religious council in the middle of the night.  

The audio version will not be capable of fully conveying these visuals. So please refer to the visuals posted in the text version of this devotion.
_____

You may wish to take a short video tour of this location, and then come back to the crypt-turn-chapel as shown in the photograph below.   

Source: https://www.stpeter-gallicantu.org/church-and-crypt.html

The mosaic to the left depicts Peter denying Christ, exactly as Jesus said he would in today’s Scripture reading.  We listen to the denial itself in tomorrow’s reading.

The mosiac to the right depicts the restoration of Peter by the resurrected Christ, complete with grilled fish for breakfast by the Sea of Tiberias as recorded in John 21.

In between these two, the altar piece in the middle, is the third mosaic of Peter.  Waas he weeping or thinking? Fearful or faithful? Navigating between regret and repentance?

We leave you in the company of these three mosaics. To ponder. To wrestle with your own “denials” of Christ. To navigate between your own regret and repentance.

---

[1] A photograph of one of the fumi-s we have on display in our own Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) is accessible at  https://www.roots.gov.sg/Collection-Landing/listing/1318857.  The item itself is exhibited in the Christian Art Gallery as part of the theme of “Faith and Belief”.

[2] A water-colour painting depicting this ceremony is also on display in our own Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM).  A photograph of this painting can be viewed at https://www.roots.gov.sg/Collection-Landing/listing/1552784. 

Link to full Morning Office